Romance in Shinan
by Precision
Summary: The story takes place in Shinan, the forest empire in the East. A lazy priest and a sinful ninja were destined to meet and fall in love but fate has other plans for them. Will their love overcome the obstacles or will they succumb to their demise?
1. Prologue

A young maiden with long, flowing hair sat down on a bench. She was wearing a black yukata with red, floral designs. It was one of her favorite kimonos, given to her by a friend. Tied on her hair was a pair of yellow butterfly hairpins.

It was morning but the city of Payon was in an uproar. Her eyes squinted as a crowd blocked her line of sight. There were too many people, making it hard for her to see the dragon dance. It was the dragon dance festival and the dragon academy was on the prowl. It had been hours since the students were parading underneath that scary-looking dragon.

"Here you go." The owner of the dango shop said. She was an old lady wearing thick glasses that made her looked like a bookworm. She placed her order besides her.

"Sure is a fine day." The old lady said to the girl.

The girl eyed her but remained silent, watching the events in front of her. The dragon stopped. The crowd yelled. A child fled from the crowd but the dragon cut it off and devoured the child.

She took a bite of her dango.

"Kwon Jun's lucky." The old lady said. The dragon spitted the frightened child out of its mouth and continued to dance towards the main plaza.

The young maiden ignored the old lady, continuing on eating her dango.

The crowd dispersed. The maiden got up, placed her bill on the counter and left the dango store.

As she silently down the road, ignoring the Shinese and foreigners she passed by, the girl checked the sticks she carried inside her sleeves. It was the sticks she got from the dango she just ordered.

Her eyes flashed. The message was clear for the girl.

She discarded it on the canal and continued on her way.


	2. Chapter 1

The night was young but the atmosphere told me a different story. As I leaped from one branch to another, I brushed everything aside that I saw just now and focused on my work.

Lord Shin Hsian's manor was in front of me. It was a large house, surrounded by large walls that made it looked like a fortress. Guards roamed the streets, carrying their lanterns on their patrol. It would be hard to infiltrate the manor with everyone patrolling every road and route. I moved under the darkness, hoping to find an opening.

I returned to my original hiding spot. It seemed that I had to wait for it. It was impossible to perform my task with all the guards. Inside the walls were torches and dogs. Definitely not good. They could instantly see me once I made my move.

Midnight came like sunrise. I was still looking for an opening.

Then, I heard footsteps.

I instantly left my hiding and followed the source.

A sentry was patrolling the area. He was twenty meters away from me and was alone. A perfect opportunity. Behind a tree, I watched as the sentry used his lantern over the bushes. He was a good guard, dutifully doing his work.

When he knelt down, I rushed towards the target like the wind. He didn't have the chance to draw his sword to defend himself. In one swift move, I ended his existence in a snap.

I dragged his corpse out of the road. His comrades might wander in this path to check on him. If they ever saw a corpse, the manor would be alerted and there was no way for me to perform my task.

I hid the body, wore his uniform and removed my mask. It was big but I managed to fit right in. I tied my hair and shoved it inside the helmet. I picked up his katana and lantern and returned to the road.

"What's up?" A sentry asked.

I took the time to observe my surrounding. He was the only one patrolling this area. The guards at the gate were far away from us, probably about fifty meters or so.

"Wait a minute." He was suspicious. He moved closer with his lantern. "Who—"

I didn't let him finish. I thrust my knife at his neck. The guard struggled but it was futile, as I shoved it deeper to end his life. He dropped on the ground, dead and no life.

I concealed the corpse and scaled the large wall. Good. It seemed the sentries inside the walls had decreased, as well as the dogs. My patience had paid off.

I reached the courtyard, undetected. It wasn't an easy task, moving silently on the walls. The dogs were sensitive to the noise that I had to create diversions to avoid being detected.

The door suddenly opened and three sentries left the building. Thinking quickly, I curled like an armadillo in the darkness.

I had experience similar scenarios in my entire life but I always felt this adrenaline rush when I was in this predicament. I heard the three guards talking about the festivals. I quietly listened to them, hoping that they would leave the ground as soon as possible.

But that didn't happen.

Their voices grew stronger. I could clearly hear every detail of their heated discussion. My heart was beating fast, as if being chased by a demon. My senses told me that the three men were near me, about five meters.

My eyes saw it—legs. They were standing in front of me!

I remained in my position, hoping not to make any sudden noises. I discreetly pulled my knives from my waist while they were still busy arguing about a bet.

When their argument became intense, I slowly crouched, knives in my hands. It had something to do with the money, albeit. When the two of them were now shouting at each other, I stabbed my knives at the third man's shoulders. He didn't scream in pain as I dragged him down.

I pulled my knives out of his corpse and prepared myself. They were still bickering with each other. When they realized their friend was quiet they all looked at me—an female intruder. I stabbed my first target at his heart. His companion watched as I withdrew my knife out of his gambling buddy and delivered a fatal blow at his head.

I hid their bodies behind the tree and moved on.

I entered the manor. As I had expected from an aristocrat, it was something that no peasant could ever afford.

Footsteps! I quickly pressed my back on the wall. I moved to the edge of the wall until I saw a servant girl walking down the corridor.

Perfect.

The servant girl was doing her round, entering one room. There seemed to be a party in these rooms. No wonder security was tight outside the manor.

At last, the girl finally finished her rounds. She walked towards me. As she walked passed me, I grabbed her and ended her life in seconds.

I carried her corpse out of the corridor. Making sure that the corridor was empty; I withdrew a mirror and checked. Good. I wore her uniform, fixed my hair to look like hers and walked towards the corridor.

My disguise was perfect. The sentries inside the manor didn't bother me while the servants were busy with their orders from their superiors. Hsian's guests were too preoccupied. I climbed the stairs, pretending to carry trays. The guards didn't suspect me one bit. Some of them were already drunk; I could smell the scent of alcohol reeking from their mouths.

I reached Hsian's room. It was a big door with a dragon carving on it.

I knocked thrice.

"Enter!" A voice boomed at the other side.

I entered the room. Lord Hsian was sitting on his desk. Piles of papers were stack near his table. He was one of Emperor Shinan's nephews and he seemed young to be working with documents pertaining to the Empire. This particular person must have possessed such intelligence to do these works.

Not to mention that he wasn't enjoying himself like his guest.

"You have called for me?" I asked and bowed down. I already had hidden my knife behind the tray.

"Yes, I need you to call…" He looked up and adjusted his glasses.

My gut instincts kicked in. Lord Hsian quickly got up but before he could shout for help, I plunged my knife at his heart. The emperor's nephew coughed blood as I twisted it. His hands tainted with his own blood tried to reach my face but he drew his last breath.

I wiped the blood out of my knife and calmly left the room.

"Lord Hsian has told me not to let anyone enter the room." I said to the guards.

They looked at each other and nodded.

"A box of dango please." I said at the old lady manning the counter.

I left the store without bothering the old lady in small talks. I had known that old lady for quite a while. She worked under the owner, a lady like her. If I remembered correctly, she seemed to be the owner's best friend.

A flick of my wrist and I discovered a letter hidden under the box. One glance from the letter and I threw it away.

As I rounded the corner, I saw the police and civilians as if they were in a riot. Seeing that it was impossible to take this road, I left the scene and opted to find an alternate route to my house.

When I reached the house, I noticed a poster glued on the wall.

**The shadow strikes again!**

I stared at it for a while and entered the house. With the job done, I had to wait for days before I could get my orders.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Priest from the West

It had been a week since we managed to get past from the dreaded sand sea of Sograt Desert and into the forested land of Shinan. It was a tiring journey, with my sister who did nothing but sing, admire and god knows what while I did all the heavy work, primarily carrying all our luggage.

I tried to remember on how I got dragged into this mess. From what I could tell, Serene, my sister wanted to have all-expense, five-star class vacation away from Prontera. She was sick of the place, probably because she kept seeing the same scenery for a long, long time. Her friends were dumb and stupid, thinking of promotions, money and power while she couldn't stand the same old life she had. My father was a farmer, with a large land near Geffen. We're rich people but my father valued simplicity in living our lives so he opted for that. We didn't have those large, fancy mansion like Serene's friend did but heck, we were one, big happy family.

Besides from seeing the same-old, same-old, I knew that my mother, Sarah played a vital role in influencing my dear old sister into leaving Prontera and to that five-star, all-expense vacation in Payon.

I just wished that Serene and my mother didn't have to drag me here in the middle of nowhere.

"Why do we have to walk?" I asked her again. Her singing had got to stop before I turned loony.

She turned around to face me. Serene was the eldest sister in my family while I was the youngest. She's twenty eight years old and a well-known figure in Geffen. Serene carried the name "Silver Rhinemaiden" because of her mastery in ice magic. Normal wizard produces color blue ice magic but sister produces a silver type of water magic. How she conjured such weird magic was way beyond me.

"Again with your whining, brother." Serene sang. "Why can't you see it as a gift from your beloved, beautiful sister?"

Her comeback nearly made me puke. God, why did I have a sister who's weird and act like a beaver and a possum? I had asked that question ever since she signed my name at the Pronteran Church, where I became an acolyte. I was planning to become like dad, an alchemist but no, she had to do that because she was bored.

So, during the course of my history, I became a priest—a priest whose well-known for being hated and slacking off my job.

Not to mention, very weird magic style and fighting style.

"Yada, yada." I replied back.

Serene sighed. "Can't you see it, brother? It's a good chance for you to see the world and have a good viewpoint of life and the likes."

Right, when pigs fly, you dope! I wanted to say that phrase but knowing Serene, she'd kick my ass in thirty seconds.

So, I opted to just nod like a robot being controlled by her via a remote control.

"Besides," Serene added as she continued to waltz down the road like an obsessed old lady of cats. "It's good training for you." 

Serene had got to be kidding. Does she ever think that carrying her luggage makes it a good way for me train? Sure. In a normal viewpoint, like my sister, it was a good training exercise. During the time when I was under master Rico, I had similar training exercise like this.

But there was one thing that my training different.

I dropped her luggage on the ground.

"What's the matter?" Serene asked. She sat on her feet. "Jeez, I didn't know you can get tired from carrying such a small thing."

Small thing? I quickly glanced at her luggage. Look how big it is! Serene must have carried everything inside her room, including her bed and the kitchen sink. Rico trained me harder than this.

But that was because I did it for myself! I am not going to carry her luggage that weighed a ton for her.

I started to ignore my sister. A quick glance and I saw her face that told me she admitted defeat.

"Can't be help then." Serene got up. "Take a rest, brother dear. I'll return with something good to eat or the likes."

I was on the ground, facing the branches of trees that sprawled all over the place. I guessed what my sister meant was somehow correct. Prontera or Geffen didn't have this scenery. The trees in this region were different. I couldn't tell what it was. Maybe, it's their aura. Rico told me about aura and how it permeated don every living things. Humans mostly have them but only few people could feel it.

Looking at this scenery, I felt like a stranger in a land faraway from home. It was my first time to travel away from home. I always preferred to stay at the house or anywhere near it.

I pondered on the thought, thinking if my sister was right about dragging me here.

"Hello!"

A weird looking person was standing above my head. Based on his copper-like skin and that very low accent, he must be from the desert, probably Umbala or so.

"What'd you want?" I asked. I was definitely not going to stand up and give him a proper greeting. My body was too lazy to do that.

The weird-looking man, who was dressed in flamboyant, fancy robe spoke. "Are you going to Payon?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"What're you doing lying here, then?"

_Annoying!_ "I'm waiting for someone." I pointed at the bushes near that large tree.

"I see then." The man said.

I waited until that weirdo left me alone so I could get some good old shut eyes. When my body sensed that he was still nearby, I lazily got up and faced him.

"Look," I said calmly. "Just walks this path until—"

I stared at the weirdo. He was staring at my hand, as if they were Cinderella and Snow White.

"Excuse me?"

He made some weird noises coming from his thick lips.

"Can I have my hand now?" I said. "I need to scratch something."

He'd done it, laughing like one those evil villains in fairy tales.

"You've got an interesting palm, kiddo." He said.

I retracted my hand.

"Your palm tells me a great change that can kill you or let you seek what you want in your life." The stranger laughed. "And here I was thinking that I wouldn't see a theater where I could watch comfortably."

"Thank you, kiddo." He said and continued on his way towards Payon.

_Weirdo_!

I sighed and took my seat on the ground.

"Dan! Come over here!"

I just stared as three pecopecos emerged behind my sister. They seemed well-trained and kind like the kids in the orphanage.

"Where the hell did you get—"

She sang a song and the pecopecos were rubbing their necks on her large chest.

"Birds will always be stupid." I murmured as Serene loaded our luggage on their back.

Nighttime arrived early like a group of birds flying south. We managed to set up camp, though Serene didn't like the idea of working too hard.

So, using her magic, she created a small cabin made out of ice.

An hour after she entered her cabin, Serene appeared in front of me, wearing her favorite panda bear pajamas. She was also carrying like favorite teddy bear. It was a gift from mom when she turned five.

Surprisingly, it was still in good condition.

I, on the other hand was still wearing this god-forsaken priest uniform. It was the only clothing that could withstand the heat of the desert sun and protected me from the cold. The fire that my sister set up wasn't enough to dispel the chill from the wind but it should the trick

We ate in silence. We could only hear the sound of the wind and critters snoring like pigs.

After I cleaned our plates, big sister let out a big fat yawn. Shaking my head, I tried my best not to get infected by her laziness. Father always told me that yawning could be contagious.

When Serene decided to call it a night, a smile lit from my face. It was still too early to call it a night. I searched for sketch pad and pencils inside my bags. After scanning the area, I started to sketch Serene's cabin.

When I was done, it looked good.

I smiled, put everything in my bag and called it a night.

My sister and I stared at the large gate with the empire's emblem—a large red dragon. It was our first time here and Serene had read books about them.

The real thing had got to be the one we should look at.

Serene couldn't stop herself from jumping like a kid who wished to see Santa Clause. The pecopecos seemed to be infected by her stupidity as well.

Hands tucked inside my pockets, I led the pecopecos inside the city. It was a big city, bigger than Prontera. What made Payon different from Prontera was that the city was spacious and somehow, it had that calm feeling when I would sleep on the meadow.

"So sis, where should we—"

I turned around and gawked as Serene was no longer behind me. The birds must have followed her too. Where did she go? Serene's head must have gone loony after seeing the beauty of Payon and wanted to see all the sceneries.

As a result, I'm stuck in a place where I have no idea where to go.

_God, I hate her,_ I thought as I wandered on the streets of Payon.


	4. Chapter 3

A month had passed since Shinan mourned for Lord Hsian's death. According to those who had received aid from the court official, he was a nice, kind man who dedicated his entire life to make the Shinense life more comfortable for them. Based on what I learned, he had helped them. There was once a time when he managed to resolve a dispute concerning lands from two large families near the mountain ranges of Shinyu. It was something that made him popular and loved by the people.

The funeral lasted for two week. During the first week, Jade Palace was closed to foreigners. Only Shinese who wished to pay their respects to Lord Hsian was allowed to enter the premises. I visited the palace and I saw how long the line was. Hours passed and I was standing at the gate to the inner chambers.

When I was standing inside the inner chamber, I noticed how well-decorated it was. Funeral flowers were standing on the hallways. A black carpet was rolled on the floor, instead of the red carpet. It symbolized the mourning of the royal family. Standing at the corridors were swordsmen, shrine maidens, merchants and elite hunters of Shinan. I recognized master Hyu, one of the best swordsmen in Shinan. As far as I knew, he was a closed friend of the deceased.

I finally reached his coffin. I heard the cries and wailings of the royal family. Lady Jun Shinan, the wife of the 34th emperor couldn't stop her tears. Right besides her was Tomoe, Hsian's fiancée. From what I knew about her background, she was one of the daughters of master Jom Sung Wang, a master swordsman. The families arranged their marriage for the glory of the empire.

Unlike the other beliefs in other regions of Midgard, arrange marriage is common in nobility. Nevertheless, it proved how strong their family bonds were. Shinan survived for a long, long time through this method.

I arched an eyebrow. The 34th emperor, Ko Shinan was the only one who wasn't crying. Instead, he stood gallantly, eyes closed, chest tucked in. He was an old man with gray beard and his hair was almost down to its last.

But looking at the emperor, I felt a surge of determination, nobility and bravery. It made me uneasy, as if he was determined to catch me and execute me.

I looked at his corpse. He looked like he was only sleeping; waiting only to wake up if someone called his name. My eyes fell on Tomoe. Her wails echoed inside the room. The Shinese closed their eyes, unable to do anything but to listen.

I gave my final respect to the dead. Ironic, wasn't it? I ended his life with my knife and yet, here I was, paying my respects to the man I assassinated. It wasn't like that I did that but rather, it was to observe how the royal family would react.

A week had passed and Jade Palace was opened to the foreigners. It was quite a surprise to see them flooding inside the palace.

I closed my eyes. I hadn't received any orders from them after that. It seemed that my colleagues were on the job.

It was morning and the main road towards Jade Palace was full of people—Shinese, Imperialist and foreigners. There were merchants flocking down the sidewalks. Some were preparing their stands while others were busy trading goods. A lot of them came from the western regions of Geffen. Goblins, orcs and kobold merchants were littering the sidewalks, talking cheerfully to the other merchants. Shinese weren't afraid of these people, as they had known how interact with them. I heard that it was quite hard for them when they tried it Prontera but that was a long time ago.

I stopped playing my Ehru. Playing in Merchant Road wasn't a good idea, as merchants would slowly fill the place up. A crowded place wasn't a good place for me to play my ehru, not to mention that it would distract me with all the noise and such.

Carrying an umbrella, I strolled down the sidewalk. As the crowd grew larger, I rounded a corner and ended in a narrow road. Small houses were lined in single file. Wooden fences divided the houses. I started to walk slowly, observing their yards.

A government barricade ended the road and I was back in Merchant Road. This time, the road seemed to be less crowded, since most merchants peddled their goods near Jade Palace.

"Coming through!" The driver of a black carriage shouted.

Once I exited Merchant Road, I should be able to find a good spot near the entrance.

"Excuse me! Have you seen Silver Rhinemaiden here?"

I turned around. A young man, about in his early twenties was talking to a kobold merchant. Silver Rhinemaiden. He said asked something like that. It had piqued my interest, knowing that I wanted to satisfy my curiosity.

I moved closer, pretending to look at the merchant's wares.

"The Silver Rhinemaiden?" The kobold said.

"Serene Welds of Geffen." The man answered back. "Have you seen her? She got three fat, stupid pecopecos following her."

"Sorry pal but I haven't seen her or her pecopecos."

Serene Welds? Geffen? Silver Rhinemaiden? This person might be a big shot or something. Perhaps, if I had the luxury, I could gather—

Suddenly, I lost my balance and fell on my knees.

"Oh crap!" It was the man who was looking Serene Welds. Upon closer inspection, he seemed tired and weary from his journey.

The kobold merchant helped me up.

"I'm sorry." He said like a trader who was going to lose his job. "I wasn't looking and I bumped into you and…."

"Here's your," The man handed me my ehru. "…guitar."

Tired, confused and somehow lost, the young man was indeed having a bad time in Payon. While he was thinking of something beyond my reach, I took the time to inspect him. He was older than me, about five years. He had bright cyan eyes and spunky brown hair. His face was covered in sweat and dirt. He must have been searching for this Serene Welds for hours.

"Miss, can you speak!" He asked.

It hit me like a tornado. My heart suddenly was out of control, like a kid who wanted to go to visit her grandparents. I was staring into his eyes. There was something about his eyes that made me feel uncomfortable and edgy. What was it? I was having a hard time breathing, especially since he was so close to me, staring at me like that.

I dispelled that thought, carried my ehru and left. I couldn't stop my hands and feet from trembling.

I was trembling, but for what?

"Miss!"

I turned around and I swore that my knees were about to fall when that man chased me.

I stepped back.

"You dropped this," He handed me my pocket watch.

Turning around, I searched the sleeves of my kimono but I couldn't find it.

"Thanks…" I said, trying my best not to show anything that could embarrass me.

"Look miss." He said apologetically. "I'm sorry about what happened over there. I wasn't quite myself there."

"It's nothi—"

"I gotta go miss. I still have to find my god forsaken sister in this city." He said as he frantically scanned the roads and took him five minutes before he dashed towards Merchant Road.

"Wait!" I shouted with my hands cupped on my mouth.

The man stopped and jogged back.

"Perhaps, I can be of assistance." I said and smiled.

Somehow, I felt something funny inside my head. It must be my imagination or I was just bored from waiting for my orders.


	5. Chapter 4

"What brings you here to Shinan?" I asked the traveler. We managed to get away from the busy streets of Payon and ended up in the city outskirts.

I sat on my knees while the traveler sprawled on the grass, hands and legs stretched out as far as he could do it. Lying on the ground seemed to have helped the traveler to regain his strength. Before that, he looked like he was ready to call off the fight for her sister and admitted defeat.

"Sorry bout that." He opened his eyes. "I was taking a break or something. You were saying?"

Caught off-guard, I tore my gaze from his eyes.

"Do you want some?" I handed him one of my rice balls.

It took him a while to reach the rice ball, as he didn't bother to get up and get it properly. As his hand grabbed the rice balls, I couldn't help myself watch as he struggled.

He sniffed the rice ball like a suspicious dog. "Is this rice?"

I helped myself with the rice balls. "Yes."

"Weird." The man inspected the food, poking it with his fingers. "There's no meat or fish or something here."

"No, it doesn't."

"What's this black stuff?" He showed the black wrapping on the rice ball.

"It's seaweed. It's use to add flavor to the rice balls." I showed him a pickled ume that was inside my rice ball. "This is a pickled ume, one of the ingredients use to add flavor to the rice balls and as a preservative."

I ate the pickled ume. "Try it."

He lazily sat on his heels and stared at the rice ball. Trying not to be curious as a cat, I sat quietly and watched him.

"I don't know." He faced me. He still had some rice outside his lips. "It's somehow sour or salty or between those two. It lacks something…" He made a gesture of his hands, something that told me that it wasn't the best rice ball he ever had.

Really now. It took me a lifetime to prepare half a dozen of my rice balls. To think how rude this man would say that my rice balls needed something to enhance its flavor.

I shook my head. Did I just get upset from the traveler's comment?

"Wait. What are you—"

The man inserted a green Shinese chili pepper in his rice ball. My god! Is he insane? No one in Shinan was dumb enough to eat it raw. Not to mention that the chili pepper he had was as big as his thumb.

I anxiously waited for his reaction. He devoured the rice ball in one eating. It would be hell or worse. I never tried adding any Shinese chili pepper in my menu and wouldn't dare to try one myself.

I gulped. The redness on his cheeks started to appear. He was perspiring a lot and his eyes almost reached it limits.

Suddenly, he smacked the ground and faced me.

"Smoking!" He said, sticking his tongue out.

I laughed so loud that I nearly lost my balance. I had never seen such feat and to emerge like that made me laugh. Another look at his sweaty face and I was up, smacking a tree while laughing.

"What?" He whined.

I faced him, though I had a hard time standing up straight. "I apologize but I never thought that someone would eat a raw Shinese chili pepper. No one in this region would eat it raw like you did."

He wiped the sweat on his forehead. "That's true but…I don't live here."

"It seems so."

"Besides, mom, big sis and I eat these chili peppers everyday."

I stared at him, unable to believe what he just said.

"Really, we eat them for our appetizers. Dad tried some but he wasn't man enough. Or so mom says." He said.

I titled my head in disbelief.

"I forgot my manners." He extended a hand. "The name's Dan Welds."

I observed his hand.

"And you?"

"I am Akiho Sumiregawa."

I shook his hand. I felt something warm as my skin collided with his. His face flushed, causing him to look the other way. As a result, I felt something weird that I did the same thing.

Five minutes passed and we both realized it.

We're still holding hands.

"So, this is your sister?" I inquired; looking at Serene Welds'portrait that Dan drew in his sketchbook.

He grunted. "If you know her too well, you won't be able to call her pretty. It's like she's the spawn of Dark Lord herself or Baphomet."

"Dark Lord? Baphomet?"

"You don't know them?"

I nodded.

Dan placed a finger under his chin. "Well…to put it simply, she's a demon of some sort."

"Oh, a youkai you mean?"

"Youkai?"

"A Shinese term for demon."

"Oh…yeah. You could say that."

I observed Serene's portrait. She looked really beautiful, with a pair of curly blond hair besides her face and small, round eyes. Dan had drawn her sister perfectly, though I had no idea how she looks like. On her head was a headband.

"A beauty like this," I glanced at Dan. "It can't be true Dan."

"As the old saying goes, 'Beauty is evil.'"

"Is that so?" I murmured.

We were walking in Merchant Road. By now, it was already fifteen minutes past noon and the street was getting crowded. It was this day that most Shinese went out to buy goods and wares from peddlers and merchants from their stands. I didn't why but I think it had something to do with the day. Most Shinese didn't like going out at dusk but going out at night was a good idea to most of us, especially that the Dragon Deity Festival was coming up in a few days.

Dan Welds was besides me, carrying my umbrella and my ehru. He insisted on doing this even though I could do it myself.

"You called your sister Silver Rhinemaiden. Why?" I inquired.

"It's because of her ability to use silver based magic on water." He replied.

"What?"

"To put it simply, her ice based magic is silver, rather than the normal blue ice. How can I explain it?" He drummed his fingers while we were walking. "Big sister is a wizard and quite a powerful one. It was just natural that her silver ice spells came to be. But that wasn't it; she started to create several derivations, as she called it to create ice based spells. Big sis was the only wizard who passed the ceremony with flying colors, even beating three high wizards. As a result, she obtained the pseudonym, Silver Rhinmaiden. Her name and valor echoed throughout Midgard, especially to the UEK."

"UEK?"

"United Earth Kingdom." He said and pointed to an orc merchant. "The orcs, kobolds and goblins tribes are members of UEK."

"Interesting." It was all I could say. I never thought that Dan Welds had a sister like that. She was like the master swordsmen in Shinan. At the same time, he seemed knowledgeable about the world outside Shinan.

"You're a priest right?" I asked, hoping to learn more. It was one of the things that had taken an interest in me while we were talking.

"I am." He tapped on his clothing. "I'm still wearing my uniform as of now."

I observed his clothing. There was nothing unusual about it. Dan was wearing a long, brown and red colored robe. A cross emblem was pinned on his left shoulder.

"What do priest do?" I pried.

"Well, we usually do a lot of stuff. For instance, we kill monsters on behalf of the church. Sometimes, we clean the church ground and sent to numerous branches to clean the place up. We also teach acolytes if we're needed and the most annoying thing to being a priest…"

He scratched his head. "Attending the priesthood ceremony of acolytes. We had to wait for a long, long time before the ceremony ended. I even tried to hide but they caught me and they dragged to the church."

"It seems fun to me." I said and giggled.

"What?" He said defensively. "You're not a priest so you can say it's easy but it's not—"He flicked his finger. "That."

"If I have the chance to be a priest, then it'd be fun."

Dan chuckled. "Right, coming from you. Anyway the only time I found 'fun' was under my master, Rico Agoncillo. You see, I'm not an ordinary priest. I'm a battle priest, a rare breed of fighting priest. Master Rico was the one who taught me this and for five years, I was under his care. The training I had with him was something I liked the most and it was fun with my master…except for his antics."

"Like what?"

"Using me to chase girls in the city." He trembled at the thought. "When he tried to seduce a female monk, it backfired. He used me as a shield for her asura strike and I got hospitalized for a week."

"He must an interesting man." I said with a smile.

"Yeah, he is." He looked at me. "How about you? You've been asking me a lot."

My cheeks flushed.

"Well, tell me about yourself." He asked directly.

I lowered my head. I couldn't tell him the truth about my life. I couldn't even think straight for any obvious reasons at all. I had to find a way to change the subject.

"Right." I faced him. "Did you sister said anything before she left you?"

He paused. "Yeah. Now that you mentioned it, she did say she wanted to meet Emperor Shinan at the hotel, where he works. But that's ridiculous. I mean, he's the emperor himself and working as a bellboy has got to be the dumbest idea ever. Even mom tells me that and big sister insists it's true. They even said that the royal family work there like ordinary emp—"

I grabbed his hand. "Follow me."

"And for the record Dan, It's true." I added.


	6. Chapter 5

The three of us sat on the leather couch. Besides me was Ms. Akiho Sumiregawa, who was unfortunate enough to be dragged in this dilemma. Besides her was big sister Serene Welds, who was the cause of my—I mean our misfortunes. The two of us had to wander around Payon for hours before Akiho managed to say something that helped me to find my bull-headed sister.

She had been staying at the penthouse of the hotel—the Shinese Dragon ever since she left me on my own to defend myself against the long, winding streets of Payon. I was lucky enough that Miss Sumiregawa helped me in my endeavor and with her knowledge in navigating the streets and roads of Payon.

Serene Welds leaned forward, wearing a smile that told me I was going to be in deep trouble.

"So, brother," Serene glanced at Ms. Sumiregawa. My friend suddenly blushed. "I thought you didn't like it here but it seems to me that…"

My face contorted.

She let out a mocking laugh. "Ah, I wish I had some crazy adventure like yours."

"Put a sock in it!" I countered. "I have to thank you for dragging me here and then what! You just left me on my own and I had to walk under this heat. If it wasn't for Miss Sumiregawa—"

Big sister's face brightened. "Oh, you're Ms. Sumiregawa?"

"I am." She replied softly.

"I see." Big sister hissed. "Tell me, what did my unlovable, arrogant and dumb brother did to you?"

"Hey!" I protested.

"Well," She started like a shy puppy. "Dan…we talked about a lot of things."

"Things like what?" Serene said.

"You."

"Me?"

Ms. Sumiregawa nodded.

Big sis's face flushed. "I didn't know that my non-sensitive brother of mine would talk about her sister her good side. So what did he tell you?"

"Big sis! You're making my…friend uncomfortable!" I said, hoping that her inquisition would stop.

"Hush, brother dear. Now, tell me everything."

"Well," Miss Sumiregawa started to tell my sister what we had discussed, including some of the stories that we'd talk about when we were at the city outskirt.

"That's pretty interesting." Serene said and glanced at me. "I always thought of my brother as a scrooge or near that definition."

"Shut it!" I said.

"But it's true. Remember the time when your nosy student…what was his name again? Tried to get a good look on your canvass. You shouted like a damsel in distressed, fled with your artwork and never returned for a month or so."

"Stop exaggerating the truth big sister." I said and looked at Miss Sumiregawa. "Rodrigo wasn't allowed to look at the painting since… he hadn't reached the age of adulthood."

"Or so you say."

I grunted and sat quietly on my seat. There was no point in arguing with my sister, seeing that she was having fun talking to Miss Sumiregawa about those things that we discussed earlier. Somehow, Miss Sumiregawa's face changed a lot. She wasn't the shy type person now. Rather, she seemed lively and enjoying my sister's company as they talked more.

I didn't notice how beautiful Miss Sumiregawa was. She had waist-length black hair and round, brown eyes. Her eyelashes were long and it reminded of me those exotic dancers from that troupe. Soft, yet it possessed a strong personality. The color of her skin resembled my mom's, though she seemed to be in the lighter brown section. On her hair was a pair of silver crescent hairpin tied on the sides of her hair.

My eyes gazed at her clothing. So this is a kimono? I had read them in the book and had seen some pictures of it. But it was different. Her black kimono was rather simple, with red flowers as its design. She wore a big red sash on her waist and the sleeves of her kimono were elbow-length. Unlike the pictures that almost covered the arm.

"Dan?" Miss Sumiregawa said and held my hand.

The world seemed to have stopped. My vision started to go haywire, as if I stepped into the twilight zone. My heart exploded like being banged by asura strikes and trifecta blows. It was the same feeling when I held her hand for the first and second time. The first one was when we shook hands. It was something out of this world and made me real funny—inside and out. The second time occurred when Miss Sumiregawa held my hand when she had obtained a clue about big sister's whereabouts.

I kept asking myself, what was that?

"Earth to Dan. Hello Dan."

Big sister's voice rang like a gong.

"What?" I quickly said.

"Oh nothing." Serene chirped. God, I swear to all the gods of the world, that girl has got something in her sleeves.

"So, Dan…" Serene magically appeared behind and whispered to me like a succubus. "How long do you plan on holding her hand like that?"

My eyes widened and quickly jerked my hand away from Miss Sumiregawa's. I had been holding her hand as if my life depended on it. How long have I been doing that?

Miss Sumiregawa looked the other way.

"If only I have a mistletoe and if it is only Christmas…" Her voice trailed off as she started to waltz around the room.

What a blunder! Worse, I dragged Miss Sumiregawa because of my stupidity.

The door opened. Big sister stopped dancing and her eyes were glued at our two visitors. It was an elderly man and woman.

Miss Sumiregawa got up. I followed suit.

"That's Emperor and Empress Shinan." She whispered.

I lifted my head. Those two didn't seem to be royalty. In fact, the man looked like a commoner while the woman was the same as well. They were both old, but they retained their smooth skin that told me that they were at least in their late fifties. But Mss Sumiregawa told me that they were already in their early nineties.

"I'm honored—"

My jaws dropped. Even Miss Sumiregawa was shocked as big sister smacked the emperor at his back, laughing like a hyena.

"What the hell—"

"I haven't seen you since you were four years old, Serene." Emperor Shinan said and hugged my sister lovingly.

"C'mon godfather!" Serene cried. "I haven't seen you for ages and where is my present!"

What!

The emperor and his wife sat on the opposite couch. It was small but deadly information that I obtained when big sister blurted it out. I was certain that it took me an eternity to digest it inside my head.

It was still new to me. I couldn't believe it. How could I believe it! How should I believe it?

Even Miss Sumiregawa was stunned at that revelation.

"You're the ruler of this land, right?" I said to the old man.

"I am."

"And you're big sister's godfather."

"I am."

I paced back and forth before I threw another question. "And you, empress Shinan, are my godmother right?"

_Please almighty gods of all religion. Tell that isn't—_

"Yes, I am your godmother." Empress Shinan replied happily. "I can still remember the day when your mother gave birth to you. I was her midwife when she did that. You were so small and cuddly like a teddy bear. Too bad that we had to leave after you were baptized though."

That did it.

Like a zombie, I plopped down on the couch and stared at the floor. So, mom was telling the truth. I never expected such outcome. Mom was always drunk or in her terms, never sober. When I was a kid, mom, who was never sober, she would tell us tall tales that was beyond my reach. Big sis, on the other hand applauded as if she was her fairy godmother.

When I grew up, she was always never sober, drinking from her gourd all day. She would sometime do wacky things at the house, giving dad a big hell of a problem.

She calls dad a wuss but mom, Sarah Welds would call him her chicken wuss.

And one of the tall tales she shared to us was that Sarah Welds and pops, Peter Welds saved Shinan using their wits. I found it hard to believe that mom used her wits and brains to that. She even told me that my godmother was Empress Shinan, which I tossed over the trash bin the minute I heard it from her.

I laughed nervously. "So mom was telling the truth after all."

"What?" Serene asked. "You mean you never believe mom?"

I nodded.

The emperor spoke. "It can't be help. No one would take Sarah seriously, especially when she's high or drunk."

"Amen." I muttered.

"To change the subject," The emperor pointed a finger at my friend. "Who is this young beautiful maiden sitting beside your otouto, Serene?"

Miss Sumiregawa blushed.

"I don't know," Serene quickly said. "Ask Dan. He's the one who…befriended her or something."

Everyone was looking at me, except Miss Sumiregawa.

"What?" I was surprised and couldn't blame them for that.

"You're no gentleman aren't you?" It was my godmother. "You should at least introduce to us your female companion."

"Oh…" I glanced at my friend, who I was certain was blaming me for this incident. I just wanted to find big sister and as a result, I got the royal inquisition torturing me with questions.

"This is…Miss Akiho Sumiregawa. She helped me when big sis ditched me for some fun." I snuck a grumpy look at Serene.

"She's very beautiful, isn't it?" Empress Shinan said.

"Ah the youth." The emperor said and motioned his hand as if he was waving at someone. "I envy them. My wife here is moldy and cranky, especially at night."

She pinched his ear.

"Nice one, G-mam!" Serene blabbered.

Suddenly, the entire room seemed to have stopped. Miss Akiho Sumiregawa jerked up from her seat. She picked up her umbrella and that weird looking guitar and left the room without any words of farewell.

It took us a few moments to realize it.

"What the heck are you doing, Dan?" Serene pushed me out of my seat. "Go get her."

Godmother handed me a coat and I dashed outside of the penthouse and into the streets of Shinan.

I searched for Akiho, but she wasn't there.

Finally, I managed to find her after turning at the corner.

"Miss Sumiregawa!" I shouted and followed the girl carrying the string instrument.

She turned around and seemed relieved to see me.

I stopped and took a deep breath. "I apologize for that, Miss Sumiregawa. I've dragged into an uncomfortable situation with my relatives…especially big sister."

"It's not that Dan. It's just that I…had a hard time adjusting from them. I didn't even expect…that you know the royal family, like the emperor himself." She said, looking shyly at me.

My cheeks flushed but I turned around, a frown appearing on my face. "I know. I'm quite surprise too myself."

We waited until someone spoke but we didn't. We were just avoiding each other's gaze.

Finally, I broke the silence. Miss Sumiregawa froze as I draped the coat on her body.

"Do you feel better?" I asked.

She nodded.

"I'll walk you home. It's the least I could do for helping me." I said.

She shook her head. "There is no need for that but…you can accompany me if you want."

I offered my arm like a gentleman. "Where to, Miss Sumiregawa?"

She secured the coat on her body and took my offer.

"There should be a ramen shop at the end of the street…and Dan."

"Yeah?"

"Can you call me…Akiho?" She requested.

"Let's go, Akiho."

As we walked together, I somehow felt that I wanted this walk to last forever.


	7. Chapter 6

I woke up, feeling the weight of the world standing on my head. Based on my usual routine, it should be five in the morning but looking through the darkness via the window, I somehow doubted my judgment. It looked like it was still midnight. I could still clearly see the stars hanging on the skies.

I must have woken up at the wrong time. Since I had been waking up five in the morning ever since I became master Rico's student, I was certain that I was correct.

Oh well, I'm somehow awake and going back to sleep will be a nuisance.

"Mom…stop. Not there."

I sharply exhaled, watching big sister drooling on her sleep. She clung on her teddy bear and the pillow like she would never let it go. She slept soundly and somehow, it reminded me how hard it was for me to go sleep, seeing that she liked to move around.

I wrapped the blanket for my sister. We had been sleeping together for a very long time. You could say that it was a ritual for us siblings. We had rooms but we slept together. I never complained or whined about this matter, since I was fine with it. Big sister was thrilled about this and always expected some snuggle with me. There was a time when she kicked me out of the bed. As a result I always tried my best to sleep first before she did or else.

Sometimes, mom and dad would join us and theyy would tell stories. It was usually mom, who shared stories that I found it stupid to believe. Dad, on the other hand would tell us some interesting stories, such as legends, myths and conspiracies that he encountered when he was still a wandering alchemist. At least, dad's stories were something that I could vouch for rather than mom's stories, about Makai, the oni and the fact that she wasn't human.

Really, mom liked to tell us those stories if she had the chance. There was a story about a particular demon that she hated. It piqued my interest because of the plot and the way my mother described her. She called her Yumelie D. Esoterica, the witch of ten thousand circles and the one responsible for destroying Makai.

I couldn't recall the details of that story but mom said she forgave that witch, after a series of talks. She even shared a story about this land called Magokoro, where that witch lived together with the remaining demons.

Big sister would clap while dad just listened to the story. Even though I was a brat at that time, I never believed a single word about mom's stories.

But right now, I somehow believed that mom was right after all. My godmother was the empress of Shinan after all.

Dispelling the thought about mom, I got rid off my priest garb and wore my sweatshirt and loose pants. It felt nostalgic, seeing that the shirt was a parting gift from master Rico when I was promoted to become a priest. From my bag, I picked up some white bandages and carefully wrapped them on my fist. Master Rico said that this exercise helped battle priest to learn how to focus. Besides, it was vital to do this, as his master taught him.

After warming my body up with some stretches, I was hyped up to start my roadwork. Big sister whined something about cakes and chocolates but she quieted down. She rolled a few times to get the right spot before she settled in.

"Night big sis." I whispered and planted a kiss on her forehead.

I jogged down the hallway until I reached the lobby.

"Morning, Tomoe." I said and waved a hand at the receptionist.

Tomoe, a beautiful and elegant girl stared at me for a moment before she resumed reading her book. That girl. She could have at least smiled or said something rather than ignoring me.

I stopped. "What time is it?"

"Thirty minutes pass five." She said coldly, her eyes focused on the book.

I turned around. "Thanks."

I exited the hotel but stopped. It was still dark but Tomoe said it was 5:30 in the morning. Dang. It must the time line difference between in Payon and Prontera. At Prontera, at least I could see the sun ready to appear. On the hand, the sun hadn't even made its presence in Shinan. The large trees in the city must have played an important part on that matter.

I cocked my head back at the hotel. Tomoe was still busy with her book. I couldn't blame her though with her cold attitude. Godmother told us about that matter when big sister did some crazy antic at Tomoe.

Poor Tomoe. Her fiancée was assassinated and she was supposed to marry him.

"Rise and shine big sis!" I shouted and opened the curtains that blocked the large ball of fire hovering the skies.

Big sister meekly opened her eyes. When she saw me with a grin, she instantly rolled over and slapped the pillow on her head.

Oh god! One thing that my sister despised the most was waking up early. She was the same as mom, though mom was easy to wake up. Nevertheless, those two numbskulls hated the morning. Dad had to do some serious work just to wake up mom.

As the old saying goes, like mother, like daughter.

The sun proved its point to sleeping beauty. I chuckled as big sister admitted defeat, throwing a dinosaur-like cry before she got up, dragging her teddy bear.

"We got bacons, eggs, chili con carne and buttered toast for breakfast sis!" I shouted. She was inside the bathroom, probably taking a bath or facing her face.

I was lucky that I locked the door. If somebody sees my sister, walking in her birthday suit, I was going to have a hard time explaining it to them.

She plopped down on her sit, still wearing nothing but her underwear. I had gotten used to big sis eating breakfast like this. She was the same as mom. I pondered on the thought on how my father dealt with mom's weird behavior.

We finished breakfast in silence. Big sister wasn't in the mood for small talks every time the family had breakfast.

"Where to, big sister?" I inquired, drying the last plate.

Her face brightened with a smile. It was the turning point. From lazy, grunting big sister to an energetic and evil big sister.

"We're going to fly!" Serene declared.

Oh boy, here we go again.

"You've been looking back and forth ever since we left the hotel!" Serene said while we were walking on the busy streets of Payon. "What's with you?"

"Nothing." I countered with a glare.

Suddenly, cold chills ran from my spine.

"Why so serious?" Serene was behind me, wearing that mocking face. "Are you hiding something from me?"

"I have nothing to hide, big sis. So buzz off!"

"Perhaps…" She slithered to my left side. "You're looking for a particular person—"

"I'm not looking for Akiho—"

I froze. Like a stiffened old man, I turned around. Big sister wore a smile of a thousand demons.

Crap! I fell for it!

She laughed. "My dear brother. You're growing up, aren't you?"

I grunted.

"I was wandering last night where you could have gone to." Serene took the lead, hands behind her back. "I was waiting for my dear brother to come back to me so that I could give him some love."

My insides felt like being kicked by Baphomet.

"What we did last night is not of your concerns." I marched past her. "And it also goes to my godmother, understood?"

"Why so serious?" Again with that counter. It was so annoying whenever she used that phrase at me, especially at a time like this. "Maybe I could guess."

I focused all my power to ignore her. Whatever she will say, it will go out on the other ear.

She whispered. "Maybe you went to dark place…and you," Big sister smiled mischievously. "You banged her like a poor defenseless bunny and…you enjoyed it."

My face blanched. That had got to be it! I had never, ever done such filthy and vile thing to a woman. Even if my master was a pervert and cuckoo head, I respected women.

I wouldn't dare do that to her!

"What!" I shouted and stomped my foot so loud that it attracted an audience. "I would never, ever do something like that!"

"Is that so? Serene leaned closer. "I thought you were comparing our chest sizes this morning."

A chorus of whispers erupted from the audience. No doubt they were referring to me and big sister's accusation.

To prove her point, Serene tapped her healthy, supple breasts.

"For your information," I furiously pointed a finger at her. "Akiho and I only ate at a ram—"

"Akiho?" Big sister said and turned to the audience. They responded again with a chorus of whispers and somehow, I was the talk again.

"What?" I demanded.

"Don't you know, dear brother? In Shinan, a man calling a girl's first name implies that they have a close relationship, like close friends or…that." Big sister said.

"Lies!" I immediately countered.

"But I have proof." She gestured at the audience, who were mostly Shinese.

One glance at them and I knew she wasn't lying. They had the eyes that I was guilty of whatever I did.

"Besides," Big sister folded her arms like a girl with an IQ of 200. "You kept calling her Miss Sumiregawa yesterday and after a few hours, you're calling her Akiho. Did some miracle happen during those hours?"

"But—"

"And here I thought, you hated me for dragging you here. You should be thanking me for this golden opportunity. Isn't that right, audience!"

As if on cue, the audience cheered.

I swallowed my pride and my dignity as a man of word and honor. I am now a wreckage of my former self, destroyed physically and mentally by my sister. The entire city was encouraging me at my demise.

The horror.

The horror!

"Master Dan!"

It was still inside my head. Big sister delivered a fatal blow to my dignity.

"Master Dan!"

To think that I fell on a simple trap like the ones used in fairy tales and comics. What do they call that again? Blurting confidential information when in pressure?

"Master Dan! Are you there!"

With a defeated look on my face, I lifted my eyes. A bald teenager was staring at me, like I was wearing the dunce hat in class. Besides baldy was a young female teenager about his age. She was wearing flashy clothing and walked without any shoes.

"Who the hell are you?" I spat.

Baldy seemed surprised. "Master! Don't you remember me?"

I lazily inspected baldy. Upon closer inspection, he wasn't bald. Rather, it looked like he shaved his hair with a razor or something. For someone who almost had no hair, he sure had thick eyebrows and spunky raven eyes. He had a sharp nose and wore an earring on his left ear.

Wait a minute! I'd seen that awful earring from some—

"Master!" Shave haired boy almost cried. "Can't you remember your student?"

I stared at him again.

"Who're you again?" I suddenly asked.

Baldy froze.

"It's me! Rodrigo Perez! I'm your student when I was still in Prontera!" Baldy said after a minute of silence.

I bolted upright. "Perez! Is that you!"

I just stared at Rodrigo. God almighty! What the hell did he do to himself? When he was still my student two years ago, he wasn't bald. In fact, he had dark blond hair that made the female acolytes jealous. I even heard from a colleague who was envious of Rodrigo's hair.

And standing in front of me is Rodrigo, the baldy.

"It was getting on my way in training, so I had to shave it." Rodrigo said, tapping his baldhead.

I remembered the time when I trained him in the art of fist. Master Rico told me that he wasn't suited in boxing, primarily because of his lineage. At first I didn't get it but seeing that he moved to Shinan after I gave him my recommendation, he was right after all.

"Oh," He tugged the girl besides me. "This is my cousin, Anise Chang."

"Ni hao ma!" The girl said and smiled.

I tilted my head.

"It's greetings in Shinese, master." Rodrigo said.

"Okay." I muttered and lazily leaned against the tree.

"What brings you here—"

I interrupted Rodrigo and pointed at the girl who was waving her hands at the shrine priestess.

"Isn't that your sister, master?"

I nodded. Since Rodrigo had shared my misfortunes concerning big sister, Rodrigo should be able to do the math.

"I see." He cast a worried look at her cousin.

I let out a big fat yawn before I decided to leave the place.

"Follow me." I said, walking past them.

"Where're we going master?"

"Anywhere but here." I said and cast a glare at big sister.

I sat on my heels, resting my body. In front of me was Rodrigo, sitting on the ground. It had been two years since he moved to Shinan. I was worried that he forgot his daily routine but he proved me wrong. He still had the strength of a bull when I sparred with him.

"You've improved, especially your legwork." I said.

"Thanks for the praise master." He looked at his cousin, who was busy playing with the butterflies. "Ever since I moved here, I've been working to improve my lower body strength."

"Anise." I called. The girl spun and faced me.

"Are you a star gladiator, by any chance?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"Master, she's a star gladiator but in Shinan, they're called celestial knights." Perez whispered.

I just nodded.

So," I exhaled. "You know your kicks?"

"Yeah," Rodrigo said and to prove it, he showed me straight kick. "I can do a lot more if I put my mind into it."

So, master was right after all. Perez wasn't suited to boxing but rather a combination of fist and kicks. He told me that Rodrigo had Shinese blood through her mother's side of the family.

He must be referring to the celestial knights.

"I need to ask you something you two." I called.

The two were all ears.

"Do you know someone by the name of Akiho Sumiregawa?" I asked, hoping that they knew her.

They paused and looked at each other. They seemed to talk like those people with mind control capabilities in comics.

"Black kimono, long hair and carries an ehru?" Anise asked me.

So, that weird guitar is an ehru?

I nodded.

"Aha," Rodrigo blurted. "That ehru player. Yeah, we know her. She plays the best songs in Payon. Though she's hard to catch."

"What do you mean by that?

It was Anise who answered my inquiry. "She plays the ehru everywhere at a random place."

"She's unpredictable?"

They nodded.

Why did I ask that?

"Master, why are you looking for her anyway?" Rodrigo asked.

I gulped. I didn't mean to ask that question. It just came out of me while we were sparring.

"Well," My eyeballs moved up. "She dropped something and I had to return it."

"Okay." They both said and started to do some kick training exercise.

I cast an agile up spell and dashed towards the city. I didn't want another inquisition from baldy and his cousin.

I managed to get home early, though entering the room revealed that my sister wasn't inside. She was probably at the shrine area, annoying the shrine priestess and maidens with her crazy antics and request.

I threw the groceries on the table and I sat on the rocking chair. It provided a calm feeling in my head, rocking back and forth. I already felt like an old-timer in my nineties.

I spent the entire afternoon walking on the busy streets of Payon. It wasn't hard to run if you're body is in shape. The last time I did that, I had my sister on my head, which added stress.

I searched the entire city, hoping to find Akiho in Payon. I already asked people around the area but unfortunately they hadn't seen her. Even so, I tried my best to find her, hoping to see her even if it was just a minute or so.

Admitting defeat, I retreated home, carrying groceries for dinner. It was Friday and I knew that big sister would expect BBQ chicken with chili and soy sauce. I bolted up from my seat, donned an apron and started to cook dinner.

"Dan! Where're you!" A voice shouted from the living room.

"Get the table ready, sis." I shouted.

That was odd. I could hear the plates, forks and spoons being prepared on the table. It was crystal clear but I couldn't hear big sister's footsteps. I had known her for a lifetime and she couldn't tell the difference between tiptoeing and jogging.

The BBQ chicken smelled so good. I had to thank my cleric spells for this dinner.

"Dinner is…serve?" I said, staring at my sister who was flying in circles.

"Guess what Dan." Serene made a somersault in mid-air. "I can fly."

So, she could fly. I wondered what would happen next.

I dispelled the thought. Big sister was wearing something that told me she indeed did something stupid at the shrine. She was wearing oriental clothings, composed of a white kimono and a long, and pleaded red skirt. She also wore detached sleeves, which accentuate her figure.

Serene held something near of a rod but it had papers attached to it. It must be a Shinese weapon or something.

We ate dinner, though big sister ate hers on mid-air.

"Let's go Dan!" She said and left her plate on the table.

"Where to?" I grunted.

She beamed. "It's a secret."


	8. Chapter 7

I opened my eyes, realizing that it was already morning. I got up from my futon and directly went to the bathroom. I looked like an ugly witch, with my robes crumpled and hair that looked like it had seen a ghost. I washed my face with soap, carefully rubbing my cheeks.

Wiping my face with a towel, I looked at my room. It had been a messed, after receiving an order from the higher-ups. I managed to find the emblem but as a result, my room was a wrecked. I didn't expect them to send her in Payon, of all places.

I didn't bother to clean my room. She wouldn't mind if shemizu saw this. I had known that girl for a long time, ever since we met at that fateful day.

It was still dark, though I knew that it was already five in the morning. As far as I knew things, Payon was situated behind the mountains. As a result, it took the sun a few hours to fully warm the city. Besides, the trees played an important role in making Payon dark every morning. It blocked the sun's ray that managed to get over the mountain.

I saw a few people on the street. Most of them were cleaning their front yards or sweeping the road for littered leaves.

Suddenly, my heart jumped. I quickly jump on the roof as my senses picked someone.

A man was jogging down the street. If I were a second too late, he would have spotted. I asked myself why I did that. He was just a man, probably a foreigner taking a stroll in Payon or exercising. There was nothing wrong if he ran past me or said a few words.

It was then that I realized it.

He removed his hood, revealing a high-spirited young man with brown hair. My body trembled as he turned around, with his deep blue eyes flashing like the sun. Dan performed something odd, as if he was fighting an invisible enemy. His body moved like a bullet, delivering lightning speed punches at the unseen foe. He dodged in a peculiar motion that I couldn't explain.

Dan Welds suddenly looked at my direction. Panicking, I crouched down so hard that I could feel the roof on my cheeks.

I didn't dare to move an inch. My mind was suddenly filled with nonsensical ideas. I kept thinking what should I say if he sees me on the roof. He would call me weird if that ever occurred.

I couldn't take that.

Slowly but surely, I poked my head. Dan jogged down the road until I could no longer see him.

I got up. Going down the road would be a gamble. There was chance that Dan could see me and I would get all worked up again. Last night, it was hard for me to focus on the subject. I kept stuttering and embarrassing myself when I was with him.

Rather than taking the road, I jumped off the roof and entered the forest.

In this way, there's no way I can encounter Dan.

Misuzu Kurenai looked like a foreigner from the far north. She wore an odd black hat with a feather perching on the top of it. She wore a western black dress with frills. It had that aura that told me she was a mysterious girl. Thick make-up made her face looked like a geisha but looking at her, that wasn't it.

"What took you so long, sis?" Misuzu asked, putting on a pair of white, silky gloves.

I shot a glare. Misuzu instantly took a step back.

I smiled at Misuzu. "Sorry about that. I took the forest route, rather than the road."

"It's alright, sis." She said and tenderly hugged me. "I miss you."

"Same here." I whispered on her ear.

I decided to take Misuzu on a tour around the city. It was still too early to go home and rest. At the same time, the establishments weren't open at this time.

It had been a while since we spent time together. I met Misuzu when she entered the Order. She was still a young girl, about five or six years old. I was three years older than her and I was chosen to teach her the way.

She was like me. At a young age, Misuzu Kurenai was a fast learner. She mastered her weapon of choice in months and was able to fully wield her weapon like a professional ninja. Misuzu excelled at protecting ninjas and reinforcement. I, on the other hand mastered the art of assassination, espionage and stealth.

Hours passed and the street was bustling with life. Misuzu felt her stomach grumbling as we toured the city.

"Give me the usual." I said to the storeowner of Miki Ramen. They sell delicious and cheap ramen near the Shinese Dragon.

"How about you, Misuzu?" I asked.

"A bowl of ramen." She said to Takeshi.

The man took our orders. I could smell the broth of meat as he prepared the dishes. Minutes later, he served with a smile.

I took the chopsticks and started to savor the noodles.

"How's Alberta?" I asked.

"Okay I guess." She drank the soup. "We still have the area under control. Though, that man started his moves."

"Who?"

"Yugun Shinan."

That made sense. Yugun Shinan is one of Emperor Shinan's sons. Skilled in the art of bow and arrow, Yugun become an important figure in archer village. He was the one who modified the curriculum in being an archer and as a result, produced the best archers and hunters in Shinan. His father gave him the task to govern the trading city of Alberta.

"How was it?" I inquired.

Misuzu glared at her ramen. "He's annoying. He's been raiding our bases for the past six months. A few of our ninjas were caught while others were killed. I managed to ward off his hunters but their numbers proved to be impossible for me."

"I see." I didn't know that the situation in Alberta was bad.

"Don't worry. We've set up a new base inside the forest. I doubt that Yugun will charge the area, without knowing what's inside of it."

"If that's the case," I glanced at her. "Why are you here?"

"I got orders from them. I was sent to provide support, concerning," Misuzu scanned the area, making sure that no was listening. Takeshi was busy with a customer. "The assassination of Makoto."

"I didn't receive any orders." I stated.

"It's not for you." Misuzu eyed me. "Rather, two ninjas will perform the task. I will provide support."

"I understand." I drank the soup. "Do you know the ninjas?"

"No."

"When will the mission start?"

She exhaled. "At midnight."

Misuzu said she wanted to explore the city on her own. She may be a skilled ninja but she was still a child.

It was still too early to return home. I forgot my ehru at home so there was no point at playing at the spots. How troublesome. If I had only brought it with me, perhaps I could kill time and earn zenny.

"I guessed I better—"

Suddenly, I heard cries. As I tracked down the source, there seemed to be a small crowd gathering at the other street. Curious, I walked towards the crowds, hoping it was something interesting.

I shouldn't have allowed myself to step into that crowd.

"I'm not looking for Akiho—"

My heart skipped. Dan looked so furious that he was ready to eat Serene.

She laughed. "My dear brother. You're growing up, aren't you?"

They were talking about me. But why was that? Did I do something wrong to Dan? Was Serene on to me?

Questions filled my head as the Welds siblings started their heated discussion.

My cheeks flushed and the warm on my body started to go up. I was having a hard time breathing, as I kept track on their conversation.

Suddenly, Serene whispered something to Dan and his brother's face flushed.

My jaws dropped. She may have whispered it to Dan but I heard it. How could she? Dan didn't something like that to me. We only ate ramen and talked about a lot of things. After that, I showed him the best spot where to gaze the stars on a night like that.

He didn't anything to me.

And now, he was getting it.

It was all because of me.

The crowd joined in, cheering Serene as she broke Dan into pieces. I was the only one who didn't bother to join them. If I do that, what will happen to Dan?

The warmth on my cheeks grew stronger. I cupped them with my hands, unable to bear it any longer.

I slipped away from the crowd and hid in an alley.

"I'm sorry." Tears flowed from my eyes. "I'm so sorry."

I got home pretty late, primarily because of what happened there. I spent the entire afternoon inside the forest, avoiding anyone. That incident filled my head with questions that kept appearing in seconds.

Misuzu was home; her western-styled slippers were on the doorstep.

"Misuzu," I called. "Where are you—"

Suddenly, I felt a killer's instinct inside the house. I drew a pair of knives underneath my kimono and observed the corridor.

I quickly pushed the intruder, who blended on the wall like a chameleon.

"Who're you!" I barked, edging my knife to his throat.

My eyes saw another figure, moving silently towards me. I pressed my knife to my hostage and glared at the other intruder.

He got the message.

Misuzu appeared on the corridor, carrying her sword. "It seems you have meet the Shadow."

I nodded and let my hostage go.

The two ninjas composed themselves.

"I only have one rule in this house." I said. "Don't even think about going inside my room, understood?"

They bowed down.

"Same goes for you, Misuzu." I said.

She shrugged her shoulders and entered her room.


	9. Chapter 8

Footsteps echoed throughout the hallway. It seemed that they had decided to start the mission. I had been sitting quietly inside my room for four hours, ever since they arrived and tried to surprise me. It might have been because they wanted to test their skills against me, the shadow. Or perhaps Raven— Misuzu Kurenai gave them the order to do so.

Another hour had passed and the house was suddenly plunged into the darkness. It was a full moon but the clouds somehow prevented it from shedding its light to Payon. I got up from my seat and started to undress. The kimono that I wore wasn't suited for this type of mission. At the same time, since it wasn't my mission to perform the assassination, I didn't bother to wear my uniform.

I decided to wear a short, black kimono and black stockings. Checking myself at the mirror, this outfit seemed suited for me for reconnaissance missions. I tied my hair in a pair of buns with a pair of red ribbons.

I checked myself on the mirror for the second time. The outfit seemed daring, revealing my legs and a portion of my upper body.

But then, it didn't restrict my movements as well as it made me a lot comfortable.

I picked my knives hidden behind the shelves. They were special, silver knives, as I had used them ever since I became a member of the Order. My gaze fell to my other prized possession, my kodachi. It had served me well for the past years. It had saved me countless times from attacks and ambushes done by my foes.

I was tempted to bring my kodachi, Kiryuu with me. But seeing that I was going to be a spectator rather than the actor, I decided to leave Kiryuu behind. My knives should suffice enough in this mission.

A wolf howled from the forest. I stepped outside the house and into the darkness.

Raven was standing in a clearing, a mile away from the target's manor. The bonfire was up, warming the area up.

"What's with your…get up?" Misuzu asked, moving closer to me.

"Nothing." I immediately replied. "It's the best clothing I could get."

She sighed and faced the bonfire.

"They already made their move." She said.

I nodded.

"What are you doing here anyway, sis?" She asked. From the tone of her voice, Misuzu seemed to be nervous.

"I came here to check those two out." I said and walked besides her. "I got nothing to do but this for this night."

"Are you going to interfere with my work?"

I never expected Raven to ask me something like that.

"No Misuzu." I patted her head. Her facial expression drastically changed to a mellow one. "I'm here as a spectator. I assure you, I will not interfere with your work."

"If that's the case," Misuzu turned around. "Then, I guess you can do whatever you want."

Even though she had changed a lot, Misuzu was still the same old Misuzu. She wasn't good at expressing herself like a normal girl. I guessed I had to be blame for that, since I wasn't good at it either.

She carried one of the largest and most lethal swords within the Order. It was a nodachi, a large katana capable of dividing a boulder into two. Misuzu may be small but her skills in handling the sword was on par on my skills.

I walked past her. "I'm going now."

"Be careful." She muttered.

The two ninja did a good job in dispatching the guards around the target's manor. I saw no trace of their corpses on the road. They made it seemed so easy with killing the guards. I hadn't been to Makoto's manor so I had no idea about the layout and guard placement. Those two must have planned this mission for days until this fateful day arrived.

I was still outside the manor. Those two must be inside by now, taking care of the guards. Rather than checking on them, I opted to find one of the corpses. As they say, corpses tell a lot of tales.

I found a dead body hidden in a ditch. Making sure that no one was around the area, I scanned the roads. I dragged the body from the ditch and examined it.

"This one," I ran a finger on his neck and felt something. "Choke by wires."

I inspected the body but found no marks that suggested his death. Only the scars on his neck were enough to end his life. So, one of them must be a wire or string user. Clever. The neck is one of the vulnerable parts of the body after all. Exploiting that part of the body is one of the fundamentals in assassinations.

I pushed the body back to the ditch. It was time for me to check the inside.

As I reached the wall, those two really did a good job. I saw no one and it felt like the place was deserted. Only the sentry lights and lanterns were left.

Another corpse was hidden in the bushes.

But I didn't dare to touch it. The scent of something awful entered my nostrils.

So, the other one was a chemical user, most probably a poison ninja expert. They were a dangerous bunch of ninjas and I tried my best to get on their good side.

I stood in front of Makoto's Manor. There were no guards or sentries within the area. It was situated on the top of a hill, looking at the city.

Suddenly, I heard explosions.

I instantly hid on the trees and waited patiently. The two must have done something to cause such ruckus.

The windows shattered. I watched as two bodies plummeted from the skies and landed on the ground. It didn't take me a second to recognize that it was the ninjas.

They had failed.

Something flashed on the sky and it landed near me. I picked the object up but the heat it produced caused me to jerk my hand in pain. Thinking fast, I used a handkerchief to pick the item.

The door opened and a stranger emerged, carrying a long weapon. He wore clothing that was beyond my knowledge.

A wicked smile crept on his face.

My eyes widened in horror as realization struck me.

He spotted me!

I stopped and started to regain my composure. What was that? That man, I didn't expect he'd find me in a matter of seconds. What trick did he used to spot me? Did he use foreign magic to detect me?

Impossible!

I dispelled the thought and scanned my surrounding. I was already far away from the manor. Misuzu should be able to tell that those two had failed their mission. Knowing her, she'd fled instantly away from the scene.

Good, I must have lost them. I drew a pair of talismans and chanted a spell. My knives glowed and the talismans devoured my weapons.

I exited the forest but I wasn't out of the woods yet.

"Akiho?" A familiar voice called.

Hearing him calling my name instantly made me jumpy and edgy. Slowly, I turned around and I wasn't mistaken.

The thought entered my mind.

_What are they doing here?_

"Akiho, are you alright?" Dan dropped his basket and walked towards me.

I felt like being guilty of sins that I had no idea I committed. I started to retreat, hoping that he wouldn't move closed to me.

"Watch out Akiho!" Dan reached for me as I lost my balance.

I opened my eyes. What just happened? I must be dreaming or seeing things. There was no way that Dan would be here, in this part of Shinan—

"Akiho!"

Dan was in front me. I could feel him breath coming from his nose and his mouth. His deep blue eyes sparkled and I couldn't stop myself from looking straight at it. They were so beautiful that I wouldn't mind spending my time with it.

Why, I asked myself.

"Hey, you two." A voice rang. "You do know that I'm still here."

Dan jerked up. Serene was standing a few feet away from us, wearing an impish smile. They seemed to have gone to a bathhouse but as far I remembered, there wasn't any bathhouse in this area.

"Can you get up?" He offered a hand.

My face flushed as I accepted his offer. It was then that pain suddenly rushed to my head that I nearly lost my balance.

He was besides me, giving me a hand. "What happened?"

I knelt down, nursing my right foot. With my eyes filled with pain, I said. "I…must have sprained my ankle."

To prove my point, I tried to stand up but the pain was too much for me.

"Big sister!" Dan shouted. "I need some ice—"

Serene swiftly moved in front of us. One wave of her hand and silvery walls of ice emerged from the ground.

Then, I heard the arrows trying to penetrate the wall.

"Dan!" Serene shouted.

As he got up, swordsmen from the forest emerged and attack the siblings. They must be the party who was chasing me. Dang! I didn't expect them to find my trail like that.

And with my foot like this, I couldn't do anything.

I crawled, hoping that I wouldn't bother them. They got their hands full. Serene cast numerous ice spells that instantly stopped the enemy from moving. Dan defeated his foes through sheer power of his fist.

My insides went cold. I turned around and saw a swordsman. He hoisted his sword up.

I cowered.

When I knew that I was still alive, I lifted my head up. Dan was in front of me, his fist glowing with yellowish light.

He lunged forward and delivered a series of punches on my attacker. His foe flew several yards as Dan threw a powerful punch on his abdomen.

"Make a move on her," He growled. "And I'm gonna kick your arse!"

My world seemed to have stopped. I didn't know what to say. It was like those stories in fairy tales, about princes and princesses.

Why, again I asked myself.

"Enough!" Serene declared.

Dan scooped me up and jumped behind her sister. Serene started to chant an incantation.

The wind howled. I felt something unusual at Serene, who had her eyes on the enemies. White mist suddenly appeared. One by one, they all knelt down and lost consciousness.

The spell stopped. Dan was still carrying me, like in the fairy tales. I couldn't explain it but I felt so comfortable in his arms.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Serene looked up and Dan followed. A middle-aged man was riding on a white horse with his entourage.

Serene glanced back at us. She motioned Dan not to speak.

"It's been a while Makoto." She said to the horseman.

"Serene Welds?" Makoto looked at his men. "Why did you attack them?"

She folded her arms. "We merely defended ourselves, Makoto. They're the one who started the fight."

His glare was enough to send chills to my spine.

"You'll come with us for interrogation, is that fine with you?" He asked.

"Fine." She spat.

His men surrounded us and they escorted us towards Payon.

"Don't worry," Dan whispered. "We're here…"

"I'm here." He added.

Those two words assured that everything would be all right. Tired, I closed my eyes.

"Akiho, wake up."

I groggily opened my eyes. That's odd. It didn't seem to be home. For once, the ceiling looked like it was painted gold. A crystal chandelier hung on the ceiling. It flashed as it reflected candlelight from the walls.

I closed my eyes. It must be a dream and I didn't want to let it go.

I suddenly bolted up from my slumber and scanned the area. Dan was sitting besides me, looking surprised. On the opposite side was Serene, wearing a bored look.

"What happened?" I asked Dan.

Dan explained everything to me. I remembered that I fled the manor after discovering the ninjas dead and that man managed to find me. It was then that I accidentally bumped into them. As a result, I got a bad sprain on my right foot, after I lost my balance. It was then that those swordsmen started to attack us and someone stopped the fighting.

"We're in the palace right now." He said. "I had to carry you here since you lost consciousness."

I gulped a lump. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have done that."

"It's fine, Akiho. It's nothing really." He humbly said.

Serene snickered and gave us a sly smile.

We both tensed and faced each other's backs.

The door opened and Makoto Shinan entered the room. An authoritative aura instantly filled the room. Makoto is the eldest son of the current emperor. He had the face of a strict disciplinarian and eyes of a tiger.

"Before I let you go," He eyed us. "I need to ask your friend some questions."

He was referring to me.

"What were you doing there?" Makoto asked.

"I was looking for a shining plant." I meekly said.

"What for?"

"For financial purposes."

Makoto sat besides Serene. "That makes sense. You can only find a shining plant at night. They're quite rare these days."

I nodded.

"Did you see anyone?" He asked.

I looked at the window. "I'm not sure but…I saw something while I was searching for the plant. I thought…it was a wolf so I quickly left. That was when I…" My voice trailed off and I glanced at Dan.

"I understand." He got up and opened the door. "I apologize for that, Serene."

"It's okay." She smiled. "Though you own me big time."

"Put it in my tab." He closed the door. "You can go. Just tell the guards alright?"

Dan knelt down and faced his back at me. His hands were positioned, as if he was going to carry me. But the way he positioned himself, he couldn't possibly carry me like that.

"What're you waiting for, Sumiregawa-san?" Serene said.

Confused, I looked at Serene. "What should I do?"

She whispered. "You haven't heard of piggyback ride, have you?"

I nodded.

She squealed. "Alright, first you need to…"

I just nodded my head. It was simple, with only two steps.

"Remember the plan, okay?" Serene said and smiled.

"Okay."

Serene tenderly wrapped her arms on his brother's neck. I noticed Dan's cheeks flushing as he prepared to hoist her up.

"You ready, Akiho?" He asked. Saying my name made me comfortable and at the same time nervous.

"Yes, I am." I said.

He counted one to three before Dan hoisted her sister up. So, that was a piggyback ride. You carry someone on your back.

"Alright big sister, let's…." He turned around and life seemed to disappear as Dan saw me standing in one foot.

"Big sis!" Dan threw her sister out of his back. I watched as Serene floated up to the sky like a balloon.

"I hate you Dan." She pretended to be hurt. "You always give me piggyback rides when we were kids."

Dan ignored her sister and focused his attention at me.

"One, two three!" Dan suddenly hoisted me up. The sudden fear that formed inside my body caused me to secure my arms on his neck.

I felt taller as we walked down the road. Dan was too busy to talk to me, seeing that he was carrying me.

His back felt warm.

"Are you alright?" He suddenly asked.

I didn't have the strength to give him an answer. I felt like I wanted to melt on his back and savored this warm for a long time.

"Am I…heavy?" I asked softly.

I felt that Dan tried to look at me.

"No."

I smiled and closed my eyes

"Dan, you should burn in hell!" Serene shouted and flew away to the clouds.


	10. Chapter 9

I'd been in Payon for a few days but I had experienced a lot of bizarre things, including big sister's shenanigans. For instance, the day we arrived in Payon, Serene went all way out and left me behind. I was just lucky enough that she was here and helped me to reunite with Serene. At the same time, a big revelation shook my world. Mom was really telling the truth about my godmother and big sister's godfather. I never expected my mother, who was never sober wasn't lying.

The day after that, big sister made a scandal but that scandal was pointed at me. As a result, I almost died from embarrassment and shame.

And then, there was that. We were nearly arrested when Shinese warriors attacked us. It turned out that an assassin tried to assassinate Makoto Shinan but it was thwarted. It nearly gave me a heart attack when those warriors came charging us with no intention of negotiation or whatsoever.

And today, looking at the figure of big sister and Akiho sleeping together on the bed, it really was a fine and in the near future, a day where Serene would try to ruin my mood.

I sat on the edge of the bed. As I had expected, sunrise was still faraway from Payon. I was wearing my sweat suit and seeing that it was still too early to go out, I opted to take my time to wait for the sun.

Big sister started to talk in her sleep, concerning about food. She instantly quieted down, chomping on the large pillow.

I couldn't explain why but I couldn't stop myself from observing Akiho's face. She looked like a baby angel, sleeping comfortably on the bed. She looked beautiful and I wouldn't mind if I just stay here and watched her all day. There was something about Akiho and being with her was fun.

We were supposed to bring her to her house but seeing that she fell asleep, we didn't have a choice but to bring her with us. It was after midnight. Big sister and I didn't want to wander around Payon because of what happened back there.

Serene was already sleeping on the bed when I arrived. Since she mastered the art of flying, she could almost do anything and knowing big sister, it includes a lot of shenanigans. I gently put Akiho on the bed, making sure that big sister wouldn't roll over her like a herd of buffalo and goats.

I checked Akiho's right foot. The injury she had was worse than a sprain injury from playing basketball. It was swollen, like a ripe tomato. If it hadn't for my healing magic, Akiho wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully.

She stirred. I immediately jerked my body away. Somehow, I ended up smiling. I couldn't heal her sprain if she was sleeping, after all.

Curiosity struck me as I ran my fingers on her cheeks. It was smooth and warm. I could feel her life burning in my fingers. Slowly, I removed the strands of her hair from her face.

"Dan, what're you doing?"

I suddenly jumped away from the bed and looked at big sister. She rolled over to the right side, muttering my name and a crime that I performed when I was still in diapers.

Good Odin! I almost died from a sudden heart attack.

"Alright," I quietly left the room and locked the door. "Time for my road work."

"Big sister!" I pulled the blanket away from Serene. "Wake up!"

Serene responded with a loud snore that reminded me of Susie, one of dad's best pigs in his farm.

"Where am I?"

I smiled. Akiho woke up. She looked like a doll, rubbing her teary eyes and familiarizing herself with the surrounding.

"I trust that you slept well?" I said and eyed big sister.

Somehow, my gut instinct told me that she was embarrassed. I wondered if I did something wrong.

Her face suddenly flushed. "I…slept fine."

She tried to get up to her feet but I immediately stopped her.

"You mustn't stand." I pointed at her bandaged ankle. "It's gonna hurt a lot if you do."

Akiho slightly nodded.

I turned my attention to Serene. She seemed to be sleeping for an eternity, unaware that a stranger slept besides her.

I motioned Akiho to move aside. Serene groaned and tried to munch on the pillow. I pulled both of her arms until her sleepy eyes slowly opened up to the bright new world of reality.

She yawned and stared at me for a moment.

"_Ohayo,_ Serene-san." Akiho said to my sister.

Big sister eyed our guest like an old lady without her glasses. Her mouth moved. Akiho seemed to be nervous, seeing how big sister stared her dumbly like that.

Serene let out a big yawn before she headed to the bathroom.

"Sis hates the morning." I said and looked at Akiho. "It gives her a headache, she said to me once."

"But…" Akiho looked through the window. It was morning and the warmth of the sun enveloped the city. It was a mystery to me. It was cold when I did my roadwork and now, it was like the cold night was no longer there.

"I know," I followed her gaze. "The morning sun is a new start, don't you think?"

"It is," Akiho replied. "In Shinan, the morning sun stands for rebirth."

"Why's that?"

"I'm not sure if I can explain everything but it has something to do the cycle of days." She opened her palm. "You see, the night represents the darkness that destroys the light. It is said that the night is the reign of the darkness. Through darkness, it is filled with the void that represents coldness. And the morning represents rebirth, like the rays of the sun. Its light gives us hope and energy for us to continue moving forward."

I whistled.

"I apologized." She looked crestfallen. "I couldn't explain it any further."

"No," I said and straighten my back. "It's fine. I understand what you said."

I opened the window and let the warmth of sun enveloped my body. "It's a bright new day." I faced Akiho. "Isn't it?"

"It is."

I looked outside. As Akiho said, it was a fine day. Life seemed to blossom as my gaze fell on the ground. People were strolling on the streets, cheerfully talking to each other. My eyes fell on a group of people watching something. I waited for it, hoping to get a good glimpse of what were they watching.

I folded my arms as I saw a colorful serpent with big round eyes danced through the street. The crowd was cheering loudly at that creature.

"Hey Akiho, what is that thing?" I pointed outside.

When she didn't respond, I turned around.

She looked like she'd seen a ghost. Her eyes were wide open and her mouth agape. She clutched the sheets so hard that Akiho could destroy a brick.

"Morning Dan." Big sister lazily dragged her feet to the table.

"Morning sis." I replied.

She was already on the table, checking the food. "Dan, where's the chili?"

I fetched a bowl of chili from the kitchen and served it on the table. "Need anything?"

"Kalamansi and soy sauce."

I pointed at the green bowl. Seeing that big sister was too busy observing the food and finding the condiments, I returned to Akiho.

"Are you sick?" I asked when her cheeks were reddish and she couldn't look up.

She shrank.

I placed a hand on her forehead. "You seem okay."

Akiho merely nodded.

It's not that, Dan." She said.

I cocked my head back. Big sister was already helping herself with breakfast. To think that she was my big sister. She could have invited our guest to join breakfast or something. Dad was always like that, especially to the farmers. Whenever they would visit the house and we were eating, he'd waste no time and invite them. It had been his way of bonding with the farmers.

And it was a good thing that I learned that from Dad. Unfortunately, big sister inherited most of her genes from mom.

"Don't worry about big sister," I assured her. "She won't eat you for breakfast."

My words made it worse. Akiho started to tremble and wrapped herself with her arms.

It was then that the gears inside my thick skull started to move. No wonder Akiho looked like that. I couldn't blame her though.

It was the effect of getting used to it.

"Big sis!" I shouted while searching the cabinet.

"What?" She spat.

"Put some clothes on," I tossed a cotton shirt and a skirt.

"Clothes are for squares!"

I rubbed the temples on my head. This is going to be long, long day.

Big sister didn't make any fuss about Akiho or me. It was one of those days when big sister woke up at the wrong side of the bed. I had seen this when I was a child. She usually just ignored everyone, focusing on eating breakfast and leaving without a word.

Mom was like that, though she never ate breakfast. Rather, mom slept on the table and drooled.

Big sister flew through the window. She wasn't in the mood for small talk and such. We were lucky that it happened to her, seeing how big sister embarrassed me a few days ago in public.

I was washing the dishes and left Akiho sitting on the dinning room. At first, she was hesitant and offered to help me clean the dishes.. Unfortunately, the healing spell that I cast on her sprain wasn't a healing spell; rather it was a derivative of healing, which acts like a painkiller. It was a strong painkiller magic but the weakness of this spell was that once the injured part was pressured, sudden movements or any external force, then the spell would be dissolved. Also, the recipient would suffer an agonizing pain that could knock a bear unconscious.

I remembered casting that spell on my legs when I was promoted to priesthood. I injured myself from climbing a tree. Since big sister taught me how to create magic spell via derivations, I managed to derive it from the healing skill tree.

At first, I thought it was cool. This healing magic could help me in my work.

Then, I got up and I was thrown in hell. It took me a day before I could walk again.

I walked to the dinning room. Akiho sat comfortably on the chair, eyes staring at the window.

I dried my hands. "Shall we begin?"

"Begin with what?" She asked, astonished.

I pulled a bread knife from my pocket and twirled it. Akiho's eyes grew wider as I patted the knife.

"Don't worry." I assured Akiho and removed the bandages on her sprained ankle. "I won't harm you or anything."

I looked at her and somehow, her face told me that she was so happy of what I said. I wondered what she meant by that.

I carefully placed the tip of the knife on her sprained ankle and let my healing spell flow from the knife. Faint greenish orbs started to float from her ankle.

"You see, "I started talking while the healing took place. "My magic relies heavily on metal objects. This knife is one of my mediums in my magic."

Akiho leaned forward.

"Priests are divided into several categories, depending on path they choose. The most common path is the healing style, the exorcist style, the buffer style and the debuffer style."

I glanced at Akiho and continued. "Healing style focuses on magic that can heal wounds in an instant. Exorcists are priest that primarily focus in destroying demons or in your terms, a youkai. Buffers are well-known for casting supportive spells while debuffers are capable of casting spells that hinders the enemy."

"You're a battle priest, aren't you?" She asked.

I was glad that she remembered that. "Yes, I am. Battle priest are a rare breed in the clerical order. Ever since the establishment of the Ascetics, battle priest dwindled to the point that there are only two of us in the Order.

"You and your master, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, though Perez will join us next year."

"Perez?"

"Rodrigo Perez. He was my student when he became an acolyte. I taught him the basic of fighting and tried to teach him what master taught me. But master said Perez wasn't suited in our fighting style. I didn't know why. When I saw him here, I understood it."

"Why is that?"

"Because of his lineage. Rodrigo was half-Shinese and master told me that Rico's grandparents were celestial knights. Knowing him, master decided to let Rodrigo used a combination of fists and kicks when fighting. It was different from our style, boxing and the Ascetics fighting style, Iron Fist. I met him the other day and sure enough, he seemed strong and if he ever fought me in a one on one, it's going to be a hard battle."

She eyed me. "What is boxing?"

I bit my lip. I remembered asking master about that when I was still under his wing. He compared it with a lot of things that didn't make any sense until I lost tracked of time.

"To put it simply," I focused my thoughts on her ankle. "Boxing is a fighting style that uses the fist. It's an old fighting style that dated back a long time ago."

"So," Akiho said. "You only punch the enemy?"

"It's not like that," I said defensively. "Boxing uses a lot of technique and skills to defeat an opponent. We employ different stances, punches and techniques to make sure our enemies stay on the ground."

She giggled.

"What's so funny?" I inquired.

"I apologize. It was my first time to see you like that, Dan." She looked straight at me.

I tore my gaze. It felt like my insides went topsy-turvy. "Is that so?"

"Yes." She said. "Anyway, you were supposed to say something about the knives."

"Oh," I said and glanced at the bread knife.

I was going to explain it to her why I relied on this method but somehow, something inside my head prevented me to do it. It was simple as A-B-C but I couldn't do it.

Then, I recalled that incident a long time ago.

"Dan?"

I shook my head and looked at her. "Sorry, I was thinking something else."

"I understand." She muttered.

It took me a half an hour to finish with the treatment. It wasn't that hard to begin with, as I had been accustomed to it. Big sister taught me one of the most important factors in magic. Serene took a long time just to find out the importance on this factor.

Perfect magic control.

It did make sense, once she showed it to me. I had noticed that most healing priest tend to consume large amount of mana to heal a target. For instance, even at a small wound, the priest would consume an insane amount of mana to completely close the wound. It was something that I couldn't perform, as my magic wasn't that strong enough.

Master Rico possessed decent mana to cast an average healing spell; same goes for Rodrigo.

But the catch was that it quickly exhausted the priest's stamina. I had known that once that occurred, chances is that you're pretty much dead.

Big sister showed me the way to perform perfect magic control. She even had a system of some sort. She called it the N factorial. Well, she wasn't quite good at naming a technique but nevertheless; it was something that I learned.

This system allows users to use a factor that gradually increases its value as time goes by. Big sister's frost divert was something. I had been frozen by that spell a lot but her spell was the only one to weaken me like a kitten thrown in the cold water of Lutie.

So, I applied the N factorial to my arsenal. What I performed to Akiho's injury possessed the N factorial.

I renamed that derivative spell, Regeneration.

"How do you feel?" I asked and offered my hand.

She took the offer, carefully standing up. Akiho winced as she took the first step.

"It hurts…a little." She said with both astonishment and curiosity.

"Don't worry. The healing isn't done yet. Tomorrow, I'm sure that you can walk like your old self again."

I escorted Akiho at the living room. She sat on the couch while I went searched underneath the bed.

"Here," I handed her a cane. "You can walk with a cane, though not efficiently."

The way she stood up with the cane reminded me of old man Gerber. He was a war veteran during the Second Conflict. He's already in his nineties and lives with his daughter, Helen in Prontera. He could see and hear clearly but he needed a cane to walk.

Suddenly, something eerie lingered on the room. We were silent, unable to mutter a word or say something.

"So…"I finally broke the silence.

"Yes!" She eagerly responded.

I was speechless.

"You first." I said and gulped.

She lowered her head.

"Since we're on the same boat," I said. "On the count of three, we'll say it together, okay?"

Akiho nodded.

"One, two…three!"

"Do you want to go outside?" We both said simultaneously.

Silence filled the room.

Then, we burst out laughing.

"Master!"

I turned around and saw Rodrigo Perez, swimming in the swarm of tourists, merchants and foreigners on Merchant Street. It didn't take me long to spot her cousin, Anise, who seemed to be waltzing in the crowd like a swan.

It took him a minute before he composed himself. "I've finally found you."

"You found me." I said with the intent of making it clear to them that I wanted them to scram as soon as possible. "What'd you want—"

"Is that how you treat your protégée, chap?"

That weird accent! That high and low pitch voiced that changes depending on the letters of the alphabet. That voice that anyone in Prontera could recognize easily, I could hear it clearly.

A blond man was standing behind my student. He was wearing a silver plate armor and fine-looking gauntlets and greaves. On his back was his shield, with the red cross symbol on it.

"Wallace!" I said and rubbed my eyes.

"Dan, my dear friend!" John Wallace Brooke beamed. "I'd never thought I'd me old friend from Prontera again."

I balled my fist and he did the same.

In a single motion, our fist clashed. We looked at each other like rivals destined to fight.

"We are men of destiny!" We said, eyes staring at each other's.

"The men of destiny handshake." I heard Perez. " I can't wait next year."

Wallace disengaged his fist. "Don't worry protégée, you will be a man next—"

"Dan, let's go to the next stand." Akiho suddenly appeared between Wallace and me.

"Bloody hell!" It was a war cry from Brooke.

Akiho cowered behind my back. I couldn't blame her. Wallace is tall, about 6'1 and his war cries are capable of sending a pack of wolves home to their mama.

"Who is that damsel in distress?" Wallace asked, trying to get a good look at Akiho.

"Chill, big guy." I tittered.

"_Ni hao ma _Sumiregawa-san." Anise Chang said. She was already behind Akiho before big guy here went head over heels at Akiho.

"_Ohayo_ Chang-san." I heard Akiho said it.

"Please, don't call me Chang-san. Just call me Anise."

"Then, Anise-san."

"Without the san."

"Anise."

"Better." Anise chirped.

"Dan," I turned my attention to Wallace. "I ask you to introduce me to the young dame."

He and his weird choices of word.

"Akiho," I tapped her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"I am."

"Akiho, let me introduce to you," I gestured at Baldy. "Rodrigo Perez. He was my student back when he still lived in Prontera."

They acknowledged each other with a nod.

"And this large fella is a good friend of mine." I nodded at Wallace. "He's a crusader and quite notorious in Prontera. Of course, notorious in a good way. John Wallace."

I added. "Wallace, this is Miss Akiho Sumiregawa, a friend."

I couldn't tell what just happened. Big guy withered down like a rose. I glanced at Perez, who was also surprised.

He was kneeling on the ground, like a warrior who was defeated in battle. "_Kaibigang nagkaibigan."_

We exchanged glances. "What?"

"Anyway," I changed the subject. "Why are you here, Wallace?"

He bolted up from his defeat. "Right. I have forgotten about that."

A thought entered my mind. "Let me guess, you're here today because you're babysitting the heir and her sister, right?"

"Right on, chap!"

"And somehow, Tristan and her sister Luna left you while you're looking at something."

"Touché!"

_Talk about déjà vu._

"I'm looking for John Wallace Brooke." A shrine maiden shouted while flying aimlessly. "The siblings said that you should meet them at Archer Village as soon as possible."

Oh, I was wrong. The siblings didn't ditch him.

He got lost and somehow, Wallace ended up here.

"I must go." Wallace bid farewell and disappeared within the crowd.

" I have a hunch."

"Master?"

"He's going to chase that shrine maiden." I said.

"Pretty much, master."

Big sister's laugh was so loud that we heard it as we climbed the stairs. Somehow, the cranky and sulking Serene early morning was no longer there. Instead, Serene was her usual self again.

I was amazed at Akiho. True, the healing spell allowed her to walk with a cane but to climb until she reached the penthouse was a feat. I wondered if my healing spell had healed it.

Nah, that's impossible.

"Do you need a hand?" I asked. I'd been asking the same question every single minute.

"I'm fine. I can do this." She said and took the last step to reach the last floor.

I turned the doorknob and the wooden door slowly opened. Big sister was sitting comfortably on the sofa, wearing a cheerful smile.

"Hey big sister." I escorted Akiho inside and closed the door. "What's up?"

"Great timing!" Serene said and dragged both of us in the lounge.

"Yuri!" She said to the well-dressed man sitting in front of us. Besides him was a young girl, wearing a white kimono and long red skirt. She must be a shrine maiden, judging from her outfit.

"Dan, that's your…co-cousin, Yuri. And the hot chick besides him is Kirishima Sakura, the Shrine's heir and my teacher."

She continued. "And this is my little brother Dan and that girl with her…." Serene smiled so wide that it sent cold chills to my spine.

"Hello Dan." Yuri said. Somehow, he looked vaguely similar to Makoto in every possible way. "This is the second we've met."

"What'd you mean?"

"You were still a baby, about a month old. I'm sure you wouldn't remember that."

If I have godlike powers, I would have.

I started to think. Using big sister's weird choices of word, I discovered who Yuri was. It made sense, since he did look like him.

"By no means, are you—"

"Yeah. I'm the youngest son of Emperor Shinan, Yuri Shinan."

Figures.

"And you are?" Yuri asked Akiho.

His voice startled her. "I'm…Sumiregawa Akiho. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"No, the pleasure is all mine." He turned his attention to Serene. "Well, where were we?"

Big sister looked at us. "You two go away or scram. Make yourself scarce or something. Yuri and I have a lot to talk about."

"Or better yet," This time, she sounded like a nagging mom. "Go make lunch. Okay?"

One look at her and it told us to go to the kitchen.

"Sorry about that." I apologized. "You don't need to help me. Take a rest, okay?"

"No Dan." She said. "I'm quite fine. At least let me help you."

I didn't want to break her spirit. "Okay then, can you cut the carrots?"

"Okay."

They talked a lot of stuff. We could clearly hear them from the kitchen while we prepared lunch. I was amazed at their story and learned something about big sister's past.

For instance, those two were little devils. They caused a lot of trouble when they were six years old. I heard that they got a good sermon from dad and Yuri's dad for abusing poporings. They used them as bait like in fishing and try to catch loots from other people. There was also a time when got stuck on a tall tree and it took all day for them get down. Big sister said that they could reach heaven and try to ask Odin a lot of question, including where babies come from. I laughed at that thought. I never expected something like that, especially to a member of the royal family. She was brat back then and was full of questions.

But now, Big sister knew the answer to that mysterious question.

At lunch, the two couldn't stop themselves from reminiscing the past. It was like they were best friend who hadn't seen each others for a very long time. I was surprised to see that Yuri's friend, Miss Kirisihima managed to butt in and throw a question or two. She had witty questions that sent those two laughing off their arse.

On the other hand, Akiho and I were only spectators. We couldn't say a word so we ate in silence while we watched the three of them roared in laughter.

They didn't bother leave the table. As their discussion grew, we made ourselves scarce right after cleaning the table. Akiho helped with the dishes. An hour passed and I was already cleaning the room. Akiho was comfortably sitting on the couch. She was probably having a good time listening to Yuri, Miss Kirishima and big sister.

It was then that the two grew weary. Yuri and Miss Kirishima invited big sister to the palace, where they could talk more and show her some of the old toys. Big sister leapt at the opportunity and they were gone in a flash.

"At last," I said, mopping the floor. "Peace and quiet."

"They sure talk a lot. I didn't know your sister was a close friend of a royal family member." She said.

"It's not that surprising." I hoisted the table up and mopped the floor clean. "Her godfather is the emperor himself. It's quite normal for…her co-cousin to be friends or something like that."

"I guess so."

I threw the mop in the pantry and plopped down on the couch besides Akiho.

"Do you play the ehru?" I asked.

"Yes, I do." Akiho glanced up. "I remember that you called my ehru…a guitar? Is that right?"

Wow! She still remembered that.

"Yeah, I did." I patted my head.

"Can you tell me what a guitar is?"

I bit my lower lip. "Well, to put it simply, it's a musical instrument commonly used by wandering bards. It has six strings and you play with it by strumming the strings like this."

I tried my best to illustrate how to play a guitar. I had a funny feeling that if someone ever saw me doing this, I would be the laughing stock in Midgard for the day.

"And that's how you play the guitar," I bowed down. "Do you like my acting, Akiho?"

She applauded. "Very much."

"Okay, it's your turn." I said.

"Me?" Akiho said, startled.

"Show me how you play an ehru."

"O-Okay."

She lifted her left and gently placed that hand, as if it was holding something. She held a small stick she found on the couch. Slowly, Akiho moved her right hand back forth.

Moments passed and she was still doing it. I guessed she must have drifted to the land of music. Playing the ehru like this proved how much she loved it.

I clapped.

And the magic suddenly dispersed like a bubble.

She blushed. "Oh…I got carried away."

"It was worth watching it." I said and a faint smile crept on my face.

It was truly magnificent. There were no other words to describe it. I couldn't stop myself from picturing Akiho playing her ehru in front of me. It would have been marvelous to hear her play it.

A loud knock on the door shattered the magic that formed between us.

I opened the door. "Yes?"

A petite girl was standing on the hallway. She wore expensive, black clothes. I had never seen those before but I could assume that this girl bought it from the North, probably at Lightalzen.

A hat partially covered her face.

"What can I do for you?" I asked.

"Misuzu!

Akiho seemed to know this kid. The girl, whom Akiho called Misuzu entered the room without my permission and was already sitting besides Akiho.

She moved fast for a brat.

"Dan," Akiho patted the girl on her head. "If it's alright, can you give me a few moments alone with my sister?"

I was tempted to pry about the little girl but I opted to stop.

"Sure. I'll go downstairs." I said.

Akiho was already talking to her little sister. Based on what I was seeing, Akiho was worried about Misuzu's welfare ever since I brought her home. I didn't know she had a sister.

I gently closed the door and walked downstairs.

I envied her. I wondered how it felt like to have a younger brother or sister.

"I'm going to sleep in the forest with Yuri." Serene had said four hours ago before she flew out of the window and disappeared.

It was just Akiho and I.

I sighed, carefully putting the dishes on the cupboard. Akiho was looking at the black and white photos that my sister brought with us. I didn't even know that she brought them here.

"Who is this?" Akiho asked when I was done with the dishes.

It was an old photo of mom and dad when they were still traveling Midgard. Mom looked exactly like big sister. The only thing that separated her and big sister was her chest size. It was big like a pair of watermelons. Dad, wearing a sakkat and his alchemist uniform had winked at the camera. He was dragging his cart full of potions.

"That's mom and dad, when they're still young." I said.

"Your mom looks like Serene-san." Akiho said.

"More or less." I sat besides her. "Dad told me that mom always dozed off on his cart every time they wandered around Midgard. He was the only alchemist who destroyed hundreds of carts before he retired."

She giggled.

"But dad said that he was thankful to the carts. He would've carried her around Midgard all day if it weren't for the carts. So, in the end the carts gave their life to help mom around."

Silence loomed.

"Say Akiho," I said, scratching my head. "I remembered you have a pocket watch."

Akiho blankly stared at me.

I felt stupid, asking a dumb question. "Never mind. I'm going to—"

She slowly reached for her pocket watch and showed it to me. It was small and made of pure silver. When Akiho opened it, a portion of the protective glass was broken but the hands had stopped moving

The time said twelve o'clock.

She pressed a button underneath the item and slowly, a tune emerged from it. It reminded of those music boxes at the store in Geffen.

"Does it belong to your parents?" I asked.

She shook her head and a sad look crept on her face. "I don't know. I had this watch ever since I came to be. This is the only thing that I have for a long time."

"How about your parents?"

"I don't know."

"Siblings?"

She shrugged.

"Relatives, friends or someone?"

"I don't know anyone. I've been alone in my entire life. "Akiho gently closed the watch. "I really envy you. You have a family who love you and a sister that is so caring. You have friends who accepted you for who you are. You even befriended the empress yourself, though you only discovered it a few days ago."

She continued. "I, on the other hand, I have nothing besides myself. For a long, long time, I have been alone, walking around until I ended up in Payon. I am alone." She smiled—a smile which was painful for me to bear. "But then, I guess being alone has its advantages. I don't need to—"

"How about me?" It was a question that suddenly came inside my head. "Am I not your friend?"

All right, why did I say that? I wasn't planning to say anything since; Akiho somehow was forcing to tell me her past.

She placed a hand on her face and got up. "I'm…going to sleep Dan. Good night."

Akiho entered the room and closed the door.

I slapped my forehead. Seeing that I did a dumb thing and realizing that I should try to forget it, I visited the nearest bar, ordered bottles of Payon's strongest alcohol and drank all night.

Big sister Serene was sitting on the chair when I returned to the penthouse this morning. I had no idea what just happened just recently but somehow, I didn't want to recall I did to kill time. What I did know was that I drank the strongest alcoholic beverage in an old pub in Payon, ordered ten bottles or so and drank it without stopping for a breather.

"Good lord Dan!" Serene covered her nose. "What the hell? You stink!"

I ignored her and walked inside the bedroom.

"Hey big sis, where's Akiho?"

"Take a bath a first!"

"Just answer the question, will you?" She was getting on my nerves. It must be the effect of the liquor going to my head.

"I don't know. She wasn't here when I got back from camping."

So that's it. She just left without saying any—

I picked up a letter near the table. It was written in weird characters, probably in Shinese.

"Big sister." I stuck my head out of the room. She was the same old big sister I remembered, half-naked in the dinning room.

"Yeah?" She said, eating her buttered toast.

"Can you read this?" I tossed the letter.

"Let me see," She licked her finger and opened the letter. I swore she acted like a grandmother in those fairy tale stories.

"It's from Akiho." Serene said and an impish smile appeared on her face. "It says she wants you to accompany her to the annual Dragon Festival this coming Saturday. Also, she says she wants to meet you at Zhiang Anu at noon, the day after tomorrow."

I gulped. That's two days from now.

Zhian Anu. Weird name.

"She'll come here at about five in the afternoon for the festival." Serene tossed the letter to me. "Lucky, aren't you?"

"Hey big sis?" I said, feeling awful all of a sudden.

"Yeah?"

"Get me a bucket quick!" I said and immediately covered my mouth.


	11. Chapter 10

Precison here. I apologize for not updating it, since it was Christmas and New Year. Do enjoy reading.

* * *

Dan wasn't around when I woke up early morning. Did he leave? I still recalled that incident when I nearly bump into him. If I hadn't thought quickly, he'd spotted me and chances were that I'd be busted.

I looked outside the window and to my surprise the sun was nearly up. I must have slept like a log.

But it was weird. I was supposed to be panickingliked that but I was calm. I got out of the bed and changed the sheets. My ankle was fine. I didn't hurt like two days ago. In fact, my right leg seemed so light that I could jump ten feet high to the sky.

I should hurry and leave this place. I still had to talk to Misuzu concerning what she said yesterday.

But I took my time. I walked around the room for a while. I was expecting Dan to arrive in any minute.

I really wanted to talk to him before I leave. Somehow, I had this feeling that I offended him last night. I wondered why and suddenly, I asked myself, why. Why did I tell him that? Why did I share something like that to him? Clearly, he was just an acquaintance that I met days ago.

An acquaintance.

I didn't sound right.

_Am I not your friend?_ He had asked last night.

A friend.

Maybe he was a friend. Thinking back, I didn't have friends. I lived alone for two years in Payon. I dedicated my time to my job, killing upon the orders from the higher ops. I never had the time to socialize, make friends or know my neighbors.

I was simply alone until I met Dan a few days ago.

Maybe that was it.

Time seemed to run fast as I pondered on my thoughts. Believing that Dan or Serene wouldn't arrive her, I wrote a message on a paper and left it on the table near the bed.

* * *

"Misuzu?" I shouted when I entered the house.

I put my wooden clogs inside the rack and walked inside. I called Misuzu again but there was no response. Odd, Misuzu was always in the house every morning, sleeping inside her room. She only left the house in the afternoon, where the sun wasn't so hot that you'd feel being roasted alive.

I checked every room inside the house, calling her name twice. Misuzu wasn't around. She must be doing something important.

Probably an order from them.

To be sure, I checked her room. The futon wasn't on the floor. Knowing Misuzu, she really hated the idea of cleaning her room after waking up. Pushing the futon inside the cabinet took her at least ten minutes to put it inside.

Besides, her sword wasn't here.

She must have gone out, fulfilling the orders from them. Yesterday, Misuzu said something very important. We didn't have the time to discuss it, as she was cautious not to let Dan in it.

I entered my room. With her weapon, Misuzu wouldn't arrive until she had completed the order. I knew how she operated and the only thing I could do right now was to wait for her.

I picked up a book underneath my sleeves. It was a book that I bought yesterday when Dan invited me out. I bought it out of curiosity, seeing that the title was eye-catching.

The author's name was Reemua Rimoas-Long. It was a weird name for a Shinese.

I opened the book and started reading the Fairies of Magokoro.

* * *

"Sister, may I come in?"

I closed the book and hid it underneath my kimono. Looking at the height of the sun, I had been waiting for Misuzu for at least three hours.

I opened the door. Misuzu looked glum, her eyes barely open. It must be the lack of sleep. She must've been out all night after I met her yesterday and hadn't had the time to rest.

She didn't wait for me to invite her inside. Misuzu took her seat and settled her weapon near her.

"You don't look good," I said, casting a worried glance at her. "We can talk later. You should—"

She didn't let me finish. "Sister, I need to report something to you."

Looking at her, I nodded and took my seat.

"I have taken care of that person." Misuzu said.

"Him?" She was referring to the one that killed the two ninjas and spotted me. I asked her to take care of him, seeing how his abilities would be an obstacle to us.

"Yes. It took me a while to track him down but he was an easy target when I spotted him on the street, carrying a bottle of beer."

"What did you learned about him?"

Misuzu folded her arms. "They are called gunslingers, warriors from the Republic. They wield what they called a gun, a powerful device that is strong enough to pierce a crusader's plate armor. They're also more powerful than Shinese archers too."

"I understand."

"In any case," She showed me a weird contraption. "This is a gun called revolver. It can fire six bullets in three seconds."

My eyes widened.

"Faster than any hunters or snipers could do. It's truly a fearsome weapon."

"Are there any of them in Payon, particularly those who work with the royal family?"

"No." She replied. "It seemed that man was the only one in Shinan. Based on what I heard from the kobolds, the Republic is currently in a state of crisis. "

"Which means?"

"All gunslingers should be at the Republic right now. Perhaps that man didn't want to go back there."

"That's good news." I said. I didn't want to fight any gunslingers. Knowing their abilities and how Misuzu explained it to me, they would be a hindrance.

I stared at her. She was barely awake.

"You said yesterday that you wanted to talk to me about something. Does it have something to do with the Order?" I asked.

"Yes." Misuzu said and handed me a letter.

I didn't bother to read the entire content of the letter. I already knew what the Order wanted me to do.

Kill Yuri Shinan.

And it was to be done tonight.

I burned the paper using a fire spell.

I watched Misuzu, hoping that she would say something. I knew that this mission was for me. I was the only one capable of doing this.

"I will need your help with this, Misuzu." I finally said.

"Of course, sister."

"Then rest, Misuzu. I will need your strength tonight."

* * *

Thick, black clouds reigned supreme. It was a good sign for us, as the light of the moon would help the enemies to detect me. Moving inside the blanket of darkness was the most important part of being a ninja.

Misuzu was standing on the rendezvous point, half a mile away from the royal palace. She held her sword tightly as I arrived.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

Misuzu nodded. Her sword towered her by inches. Her nodachi, which she named karyuu was an ancient weapon of the Order. I heard it from the higher ups that this sword was wielded by a woman during the past.

"What's the matter?" Misuzu asked.

I consulted the skies. As if on cue, drops of rain started to fall. Raindrops bounced on my fox mask.

I lifted a hand, shielding my face against the rain. How odd. I always considered the rain as my ally. With the raindrops falling on the roof on my target's manor, I could easily sneak in without any worry of creating unwanted noises. At the same time, I could use the rain to conjure my water spells. The dark skies helped me to easily blend in the darkness and struck my enemies with a single blow. The lights outside their manor wouldn't be up, as the rain would prevent it.

I should be considering myself lucky to have this event.

I should be happy that I could perform my work easily.

I should be happy.

But I wasn't.

I removed my mask, feeling the rain pummeling at my face. I looked at the dark skies terrorizing the city. My eyes wandered around, hoping to see beyond the clouds.

I was hoping to see a bright sky, where the stars glittered and the full moon sat on its rightful throne.

For the first time, I wanted to see it.

The sky that is full of stars and a moon where I can admire its beauty.

But I knew that a person liked me had not rights to wish for the impossible. I am after all, a ninja.

* * *

The royal palace. I never thought that one day the Order would give me an order to kill one of the members of the royal family. I had been observing the palace for two years.

The shrine priestesses erected a powerful barrier to prevent intruders like me from entering the premise. I had tried to destroy the barrier but my magic skills weren't strong enough to break the barrier. At the same time, I also noticed that the barrier wasn't a normal one; If one breaks it, then the palace will be alerted.

Next, I tried to bypass it. There were many hidden routes but they were all dead end. I discovered a hidden route but another barrier was set up, preventing me from moving onwards.

I was standing outside the castle walls. It didn't take me that long to find the keystone hidden in the bushes. The marking of a dragon was on the stone.

I drew my kodachi and rammed the stone.

A crack slowly appeared on the stone.

I sheathed my sword and looked at the castle wall. The barrier should weaken right now. I counted from one to thirty before I began the next phase. I formed an ice spear and hurled it at the wall.

The ice spear shattered. I rushed towards the wall before the barrier regenerated. I climbed the wall like a cat.

"Who's there!" A guard said when I entered the window.

Ninja instincts kicked in. I dashed past the guard and grabbed his right arm. The sentry cried as I threw him on the floor. Using my free hand, I drew my kodachi and thrust it to his neck. The guard trembled before he drew his last breath.

I checked the corridor, making sure that there were no patrolling guards in the area. I hid the corpse inside a large jar and moved on.

It was my first time inside the royal palace. Even though it was dark, I could still see how rich the royal family was. They had expensive vases and jars lined on the corridors as I crept. Paintings from skilled painters were hung on the sides. I saw a large portrait of the current emperor on the wall when I exited the long corridor.

I recalled what Yuri said when he visited the Welds.

"It's nice to wake up and see the sun." He had said to Serene.

If that was the case, his room was still far from my current location.

I stopped. I planted my ear on the ground.

Sentries!

"Did you hear about what happened last night?" The first sentry said.

His partner snorted. "Heard what?"

I was watching as the two sentries stopped and started to talk. I was hiding on top of the ceiling, with my arms and legs stretched.

Their discussion turned into an argument. My limbs started to weaken. This wasn't a good thing to occur at a time like this.

One minute had passed and I reached my limit. The sentries were still talking about a rumor. As their discussion grew, I jumped from the hiding place and landed quietly.

"Did you hear that?" A sentry looked at the corridor.

"You're hearing things." The other one said.

They resumed their discussion. Slowly, I drew my kodachi and waited for the right opportunity.

As the other one turned his back away from his partner, I quickly drove my weapon to the second sentry's lungs and dragged his body down. I stood behind the other one, my back facing his and delivered the final blow to his spine.

The sentry stopped. A few seconds passed and he was on the ground, surrounded by his own pool of blood.

I sheathed my weapon but another sentry appeared. I hid inside the blanket of darkness.

He continued on his way but he turned around. I felt edgy, as he returned and noticed the corpses.

I grabbed his face and covered his mouth. My enemy struggled. I picked my knife hidden in the sleeves of my ninja garb and thrust it to his heart.

I let go the corpse, panting.

After I composed myself, I decided to move forward.

From the west wing, I reached the east wing of the palace. They all looked the same, though the paintings were different

I stopped as I saw fives sentries standing guard on a room. I bit my lips. It would be impossible for a skilled ninja to perform a kill with a number like that.

But I wasn't an ordinary ninja.

With the help of the darkness, I straightened my back. I grabbed my weapon and clasped my hand. A surge of energy started to flow in every cell inside my body and to my hands. My legs felt the energy flowing inside of it.

I positioned my body in an attacking position, mildly crouching down with both of my hands grasping my sword.

I teleported behind the first guard and slit his throat. As my first victim blankly stared, I swiped my kodachi at my second target. By the time I ended his life, I dispatched the third one, swinging my blade at his neck. The fourth one looked like he had seen a specter as I dashed forward and aimed for his heart.

I withdrew my sword and they dropped dead.

I opened the door, revealing numerous chest of gold. This must be the treasury room. No wonder it was heavily guarded.

I tossed their corpses inside the room and moved on.

I was standing in front of a tower outside the palace. My gut feeling told me that Yuri would be in this tower. Observing the area, it seemed to be true. It was a tall tower in an open field. It was close to the castle walls too.

Two sentries stood guard.

Suddenly, pain surged throughout my body. It was the effect of the spell, multi killing stroke. It had been a while since I relied on that skill in my assassinations.

The pain burned like a bonfire. With every second passed, the pain grew. I was already on the ground, hugging myself and drenched with rainwater and mud.

Somehow, the pain subsided. I rolled over, eyes staring at the black skies and panting. I welcomed the rainwater. It didn't matter whether it was dirty or not. I needed it to quench my thirst.

I slowly got up and scanned my surrounding. My ordeal weakened me but I must move on.

I slammed my palm on the ground. "Earth style: Terra bristles."

The ground trembled, followed by an awkward silence.

The guards were dead, impaled by spears made out of stone. I walked past them, ignoring the horror etched on their face and entered the tower.

I directly walked towards the bedchamber.

He must be sleeping like a log, I thought. Yuri Shinan was buried underneath pillows and a thick blanket.

"Die…"I muttered and thrust my sword at his body.

My eyes widened as I realized something amiss. I quickly retrieved my weapon and tossed the blanket and pillows away.

Suddenly, my ears caught a sound—a faint sound.

Instincts instantly ordered my legs to jump away. The bed was slice in half and a man was standing, a few feet away from me. I grabbed my kodachi and faced my enemy.

He pointed his sword, a katana at me.

"So you're the infamous Shadow?" He said.

That voice! I remembered that voice.

"You killed my cousins and relatives for the past two years. You even tried to dispatch my brother Makoto."

Impossible! I didn't that Yuri Shinan possessed swordsmanship on par with a master swordsman.

"Now, you will pay the price for the deaths of my relatives!"

So fast! I barely dodged his attack as he drew his katana from its sheath.

I leaped back. A portion of my ninja garb was destroyed. I assumed a defensive position, focusing my attention to Yuri and his sword.

I turned around. Yuri swung his katana but I successfully blocked it. His eyes glared at me. I could feel the intensity of his fury as I tried to push him.

With a shout, he overpowered me that I nearly lost my balance. He lunged forward, his katana poised to kill me. Thinking quickly, I used my agility to dodge his attack and struck him with my fist.

We both retreated. Yuri's nose was bleeding.

He assumed a stance—the sword-drawing stance.

I had already seen it once. I closed my eyes, trying my best to calm down. He relied heavily on performing a powerful attack, followed by a series of slashes.

I suddenly opened my eyes and threw my kodachi. My ears registered the sound of metal clashing and a yelped from my enemy. Following the noise, I lunged forward and captured Yuri. His face looked like he had seen a ghost. Using the ninja martial arts, I twisted right arm. My enemy cried as I snapped his arm. I moved on to his left arm and did the same.

I finished the assault by throwing him to the ground. His face was contorted with pain, arching his body up.

I picked my kodachi and then walked in front of him.

"Now die…Yuri—"

Something flashed across the ceiling. I retreated back.

My eyes fell on the swords that struck the ground. There were at least twenty of them and if I failed to dodge those swords, I would have been dead.

"Yuri!" A familiar voice said.

I rose up from my position and eyed the enemy. It was a shrine priestess, as she hovered down to the ground to aid Yuri. Behind her were swords, probably conjured by magic.

She faced me and her swords multiplied.

It's Kirishima Sakura!

"How dare you!" Sakura shouted and her swords rattled.

My senses kicked in; I quickly parried her swords that attack behind me. I glanced at Sakura. She stood proudly, her eyes glaring at me like she wanted me dead.

Sakura lifted her arm. Her swords moved in a circular motion.

As her swords continued to assault me, I remembered something concerning Sakura and the shrine. She was the heir to the next head of the Shrine. This only proved that Sakura was the strongest amongst the other shrine priestess.

She must be conjuring a powerful spell to end this battle.

"Sword arts!" Sakura cried as she hurled a short sword at me. "The swords that split the sea!"

The swords stopped moving and suddenly flew towards me. I jumped away and watched as the magic created a large hole.

I looked at my enemy and her spell started to form, summoning hundreds of different kind of swords. I clasped my hand and evoked illusionary shadow.

A wave of her hand and her swords flew towards me. I quickly leaped high enough to evade her magic. That spell sliced the floor easily like tofu.

She looked up, wearing a stunned look on her face. She never expected someone to dodge her spell. It was fast and deadly, enough to surprise me.

But I knew, from my experience how to evade magic like that.

Light flashed from my kodachi as I moved closer to my target. Sakura remained standing, looking at me with disbelief.

_What!_

Something wasn't right. I looked at Sakura. My weapon, Kiryuu was impaled at her heart. Blood slowly oozed from her body.

But why? Why couldn't I be satisfied?

"Sword miracle." Sakura suddenly said and gripped my arm. "Sakura's Funeral."

She dissipated like the mist. I was dragged into an unknown world. There was nothing but the darkness. My mind told me to mentally prepare myself for the worse.

It was then that I realized something. I ran my hand on my body and realized that I was skewered by a thick sword.

Then, it dawned to me as I looked up.

I was surrounded by swords, with Sakura appearing in front of me, holding a terrifying blade.

"Sakura's Realm: The Den of the Dragon Swords."


	12. Chapter 11

I opened my eyes and watched, stunned at my current location. Was I dreaming? I was inside large, white room. I could see a table and a chair but that was it.

I instantly lifted my head. Was I hearing things? I could swear that I heard someone laughing.

"You best wake up."

A woman was sitting on the chair, weaving something. It was hard to get a good look at her. I couldn't explain the details but there was something about that woman. It was like she didn't want me to see her. I also had this feeling that she owned this room and I was a guest.

I moved closer.

"Aren't we…getting a little bit excited?" The woman stopped weaving and smiled.

Her smile.

I stopped and stared at her.

She wore a white puffy hat with a blue ribbon sitting on the top of the hat. Her clothing reminded me Misuzu's. She wore a white dress with small frills and blue laces.

"Time to wake up, Akiho Sumerigawa. " She appeared behind. "We shall meet again."

Bells chimed and darkness suddenly consumed me.

* * *

I opened my eyes, dazed. Where am I, I asked myself. Everything seemed to be hazy and blurry. What just happened? I couldn't recall what happened to me. My eyes scanned the area but I couldn't make anything, except the hazy lines appearing in front of my eyes.

I lifted my hand. I couldn't see it clearly. I could feel my hand though.

Someone grabbed my hand. I looked at my right side and saw a silhouette sitting besides me. I couldn't make anything out of it.

But I felt something warm flowing from my hand.

I remembered this feeling not too long ago. It was nice and I didn't mind this emotion lingering on my hand. When did I felt this warm feeling again? I tried to rack my mind but I couldn't draw anything but blank slates.

Huh? That was weird. I was certain my eyes were open but it was getting darker. I looked around and then my gaze fell at the silhouette.

I gave that silhouette a weak smile before I passed out.

* * *

The sound of the birds noisily singing woke me up from my slumber. The first thing that I did was to scan my surrounding. I was tired, as if I had trained for days during my days as a ninja recruit. I tried to get up but my body wouldn't allow me to do so. Every muscle in my body didn't want to do it.

"Sister!"

I slowly cocked my head and saw Misuzu on the verge of crying.

I managed to hold her hand.

"Why…" I paused, catching my breath. "Are you crying?"

Misuzu lowered her head. She didn't want anyone to see her face full of tears. She had been like that ever since I met her.

She didn't answer. Instead, I could hear her sobs.

I changed the subject. "How long?"

"What?" Misuzu sniffed.

"How long…have I been sleeping?"

"Two days." She said. "You've been sleeping for two days."

I stared blankly at the ceiling. "Is that so?"

She nodded.

"What happened to me?" I asked.

"What?" Misuzu replied, surprised.

I repeated the question. This time, I said it like a turtle.

"I don't know," Misuzu looked outside the window. "I just found you lying in the woods."

"What!" I bolted up but I suddenly stopped, instinctively clutching my left arm.

My left arm! The pain felt like needles stabbing my arm. It was something beyond my imagination.

I collapsed, screaming and kicking. Misuzu was already top on me, pinning as I struggled. I tried to look at my arm but I feared that if I removed my hand, the pain would completely swallow me.

The pain slowly subsided. Misuzu injected me with a drug, as she held a syringe.

We were both gasping for air.

"Rest for now, sister." Misuzu said. She retrieved her nodachi and left.

I lied down on my futon, trying to recall what happened to me.

Then it dawned to me.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon when I woke up. The sound of people, walking and chatting with each other opened my eyes to the world. The sun burned like a glorious king and the sound of the birds chirping were loud enough to wake the dead.

But it was still inside my head.

I changed into my kimono and carried my futon inside the closet. It was hot. It would be impossible for me to sleep in this condition. It was weird though. Summer had ended last month and autumn arrived. It was supposed to chilly and cold but seeing the sun, it was hard to imagine that it was still summer.

In my own opinion, that is.

I looked at my room. Misuzu said that I was out cold for two days. She wasn't lying about that. Mortars, pestles and herbs littered my room. Fragments of numerous stones were scattered in my room as well.

She must have been trying her best to heal me, using her knowledge in herbalism. Misuzu was a gifted herbalist and it was one of her fortes.

Staying here wouldn't help me to rest. Misuzu wasn't around. She'd be worried sick if I left the house. She tried her best to heal me after all.

But still, I needed to go.

To a place faraway from here.

* * *

Zhian Anu. It was a chocolate-colored hill that overlooked Shinan at the east. It was said that this hill played an important role during the ancient times, where Midgard was still divided into kingdoms and countries.

Walking here helped me relaxed. I always admired the pine trees that grew in this hill. I couldn't explain why but it must be because I felt comfortable here.

Luckily, there were no tourists at my spot. It was a special spot that I discovered it by accident two years.

I exited the dense bushes and into a clearing. I stepped on the stone and look down. I could see how high I was. Below me was the dense forest of Shinan. This forest had existed a long time ago and Shinan considered the forest as an important aspect in their life.

I inched closer to the cliff. A jab in my stomach told me to go on.

I lifted the sleeves of my left kimono and looked at the source of my pain. It was a single, straight cut. Observing it, I deduced it was done by something sharp, like a knife or a sword.

I couldn't believe myself. In my entire life as a ninja, I couldn't believe this happened to me. If the others find out about this, I'd be the laughing stock of the Order.

Like I care.

Misuzu was surprised when I said that to her. Who wouldn't? I was one of the best and feared ninja in Shinan. Misuzu admired me and looked up to me. I was even surprised myself when I reached that answer.

That night. The night where I was supposed to kill Yuri.

I failed.

And worse, I had forgotten about it.

I stretched my arms as far I could and looked at the scenery beyond the horizon. Thin strips of cloud hovered casually. Looking at them, it felt like they didn't have a dang about this world. A cold breeze gently blew past me. My kimono fluttered, as if it wanted the wind to dance together with it.

I failed.

For the first time, I, Shadow failed my job to erase Yuri Shinan.

I closed my eyes. My body felt so comfortable whenever I stood on this spot. How I wished I could stay here forever.

"Miss!"

I turned around but suddenly my body felt light.

I screamed as plummeted down below.

"Miss!"

Was I dead?

I opened my eyes and the first thing that greeted me was me hanging on dear life. Fear gripped my heart as I stared at the bottom.

"Hold on!" The man cried. He tightly gripped my hand as he pulled me.

One big pull and I was on solid ground. God almighty! I almost died.

That man! He almost killed.

Gathering my remaining strength, I confronted the man. If he didn't shout like that, I wouldn't have slip and fell off the hill.

"What're you thinking?" I shouted and grabbed his collar. "You almost killed me!"

I choked the man so hard that I forgot I was injured. This freak! He almost killed me. If he didn't call me, I wouldn't have to experience that horrifying fall. What was he thinking?

"Curse you!" I cried and tears started to form behind my eyes.

"Look lady," The man cocked his head. "I was just trying to—"

"Trying what!" I slapped him so hard that my left hand stiffened. "Trying to kill me? Do you want it so bad to get rid of me or are you bored enough that you wanted me to fell off the hill and laugh?

The man stared blankly at me.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" I mockingly said to him, hiding my frustration with a sarcastic laugh. "Maybe I should push you off this hill and laugh at your corpse? I'd like that. Or maybe you can suggest something to help me kill you?"

"I didn't—"

"I didn't what?" I arched my body and looked at the sky. I couldn't stop my tears from flowing. They just burst out like a flashflood. "I didn't what?"

He looked away, unable to answer one simple question.

That was when I started crying. The thought of dying was scary and terrifying. As I hammered my fist at the stranger, I recalled what happened at that fateful night.

I nearly died.

I almost died from my mission.

The shadow was almost killed by them. If I didn't flee, I wouldn't be here on this hill, crying my heart out to a total stranger.

For the first time, I was scared. Something inside me formed and I was certain it would remain there forever.

But I was lucky—so lucky that it was him, who listened to my cries.

* * *

The sound of wind whooshing the tree branches awoke me. I groggily bolted up from my sleep and rubbed my eyes like a kid.

"Here."

What? I rubbed my eyes again. A man was sitting besides me, holding a handkerchief on his palm.

I leaned closer. He looked vaguely familiar, as if I had seen him somewhere. No, that wasn't right. I knew this man very well. It was just that I just got up and my eyes were still blurry. At the same time, I felt like I just cried a river for some unknown reason.

I squinted.

"Dan!" I jerked my back but I fell on my butt.

"What're you doing here?" I asked, panicking.

Dan Welds paused. He was holding something in his right hand. A pencil? My gaze fell on the sketchbook in front of him.

"Me?" He asked.

I nodded.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I explain it to you." Dan said and placed the pencil on his ear.

It was a challenge, I thought.

"Really?" I asked suspiciously. I pressed my lips with a finger. "Perhaps you should try your best to persuade me."

Dan started his explanation.

Five minutes passed and he finished his explanation with a grin. I was stunned, petrified and even dumfounded. I couldn't even look into his eyes with that smile. No wonder my eyes were sullen and I was so tired of breathing. My mouth was dry and my tonsil was itchy, like burning in a blazing river.

I closed my eyes and covered my ears with my hands.

"Told you so." I heard him say that.

I didn't want to look at him. How could I? I just made a fool of myself, thinking that he wanted me dead. I spent a lot of time with Dan and knew he wasn't that kind of a person. He was a kind man, gifted with the love of his family and friends. He was the person who valued them more than his own existence. I wasn't even thinking of what I said to him, saying those awful words to him to satisfy my own cravings. I shouldn't have done that to him. He didn't deserve it.

And yet, I accused him

I cursed him.

I said many bad things about him without even thinking.

How could I face him? Should I just leave? Should I disappear or should I try to apologize and hope that he wouldn't be angry with me?

Or even perhaps, do that?

"Akiho?"

How?

"Knock, knock?"

I opened my eyes and I couldn't believe what I saw.

He laughed like a herd of buffalo while I nearly died from embarrassment. I was here contemplating on how to apologize and out of nowhere, Dan showed me his sketches of me while I was bawling at him.

Then he flipped his sketchbook. I was dumbfounded when he drew me, sleeping on his lap.

I couldn't take it.

"I really did capture you there…" Dan said but suddenly stopped.

"I'm sorry." I cried and wiped my tears like a child who got scolded by their neighbor. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say those awful things to you."

I threw myself on the ground, sobbing.

"I'm really sorry, Dan."

A pair of hands held my shoulders. Sniffing, I weakly lifted my head.

He looked the other way. "I'm sorry too. If I didn't shouted like that, then you wouldn't—"

I didn't let him finish as I instinctively wrapped my arms around him and cried. He didn't move but I felt a hand on top of my head.

And again I cried.

But this time, I was crying because how awful I was to Dan.

* * *

"Sister!"

Misuzu rushed outside from the house and threw herself at me. I caught her, managing to balance myself as I carried her.

"Where have you been!" She asked and cast a glare at Dan.

"I'll…take my leave. I'll see you at Saturday Akiho." Dan Welds said and left.

When he disappeared at the corner, I turned my attention at Misuzu.

"I apologize for that Misuzu. I…needed some air to think things." I said.

Her grip tightened.

"Don't do that again." She muttered.

I planted a kiss on her forehead and carried her inside.

"I forgot," Misuzu handed me a letter. It was a mission order from the higher-ups. My heart picked its pace as I stared at the letter.

"Sister?" She asked.

I read the letter and crumpled it like a frustrated trader.

"We're not going." I said to Misuzu.

"What? Why?"

"Don't make me repeat myself, Misuzu." I said as if threatening her.

She nodded. "I understand."

"Thank you."


End file.
